


Aftermath

by 18lzytwner



Series: ThunderCats Fourth Series [4]
Category: Thundercats (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 26,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Everything seems calm after the last incident with the Mutants but are they really?  The ThunderCats and their new allies are about to find out.  Fourth in new series.
Relationships: Bengali/Pumyra (Thundercats), Cheetara/Lion-O (Thundercats), Panthro/Lea, Slythe/Arzu
Series: ThunderCats Fourth Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1139006
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

"Is that the last of it?" Lion-O asked his now wife, Cheetara. The cheetah looked around the room and nodded.

"That's everything. Our friends were much too generous," she said. They were moving their wedding gifts into their joint room from the small conference room. During the construction of the Lair, Panthro and Tygra had agreed to make it easier to enlarge Lion-O's room should he ever have the ability to get married. A single room with private bathroom was fine for a single guy but with two people sharing the space, they needed more storage and breathing room. So, about a week before the wedding, the construction got underway. The entire far wall where Lion-O's closet had been was removed revealing a three-foot empty space behind it. A new closet was built into that new wall, leaving room for a couple of dressers and another chair – of course later some of that could be rearranged for a crib. Cheetara's old room would be used for any overflow storage and could later be turned into a child's room.

"I believe that they were," the lion agreed as he plopped down on the bed, looking at all the boxes. With construction complete and the wedding over, the two had now been moved into their new quarters for about a week.

"We have been married a week now. I suppose that it is time we hold an official coronation but maybe we can skip that. After all, we are not King and Queen of the entire planet, just the few Thunderians we have here," his wife commented as she sat down next to him. The warm spring breeze came in through the open window. Summer wasn't too far off.

"I think one party is enough. Besides, as you pointed out, it's really an honorary title at this point. However, there is one thing we need to do," he said.

"The Sword?" Cheetara asked.

"Yes. Now that you are my wife, technically, you would take my spot as leader of the ThunderCats should something happen to me. The Sword must answer to you. The only way to ensure we do it right would be to use the Book of Omens," Lion-O told her.

"That book gives me the creeps," the cheetah's sixth sense was always on edge around the book made by their ancestors.

"Yeah it's not my favorite but we need to do it. You'll need to avenge my death and protect the others. It's a lot of responsibility but I can think of no one else I would want to do that," he leaned over and kissed her temple.

"You flatter me, my King," she said.

"I intend to do so for the rest of my life," he smirked.

"A girl can get used to that, though I don't think I flatter you enough. You have been so patient and so attentive. I was staring down some of my darkest days since the destruction of Thundera," Cheetara told him.

"You deserve some of the credit for that. You let me in. Well maybe Ma-Mutt gets credit for softening you up," Lion-O chuckled. The former Horrible Hound, who had been relaxing on his bed, perked up with a little bark of his own.

"You definitely helped too, buddy," the cheetah chuckled before turning to her husband.

"No need to deflect my King. You too deserve credit," she said as she leaned in. Before Lion-O could kiss her, there was a knock on the door.

"You guys coming down for dinner or should I have it brought up?" They could almost hear Panthro waggling his eyebrows from out in the hallway.

"We're coming. Shouldn't you be proposing to Lea by now?" Lion-O called back through the door.

"You know I'm waiting until her birthday," he said, hearing them move to the door and open it.

"I know. Any word from Mandora?" the King wondered.

"She hasn't heard anything from Interplanetary Control Force headquarters. Commander Tiberius is still scheduled to leave at the end of the week with the battle cruiser. I guess they figure that no Mutant retaliation is imminent anymore," the panther said.

"Well it's been six months. If they were going to do something stupid, they would have tried it already. Besides even if they were to try something after the battle cruiser leaves, they know that the entirety of the ICF would come down on them like a ton of bricks," Cheetara pointed out.

"Let's keep our fingers crossed," Lion-O said.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're leaving me again," Mandora pointed out to Commander Tiberius from her seat across from his desk. They had met in his office aboard the battle cruiser.

"Comes with the territory but you knew that already First Class," Tiberius reminded her from his seat behind his desk.

"James, how many times must I remind you to call me Mandora?" She asked.

"Always once more when we're not somewhere where we can get interrupted," he winked.

"I hate this. I swear the brass did it on purpose," the blonde heaved a sigh.

"Yes, making you stuck to the planet surface does seem like a punishment after you catch so many bad guys. Although, have you given a thought to the fact that they value Third Earth so much that they put their best Evil Chaser on it?" James wondered.

"Trying to butter me up?" Mandora raised an eyebrow.

"Saving that for later," he smirked. The blonde blushed and was about to scold him when there was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," the Commander called.

"Sir, headquarters wants to talk to you and First Class. They're on the horn," the smartly dressed Private told them.

"Thank you, Vickers," James nodded, and the young man ducked back out of the office. The Commander quickly punched up the codes for the private video call line and on the screen popped up General Roy Grinsted.

"General," the Commander nodded.

"James, First Class, good to see you. I know that you've been prepping for departure, but we might want to put that on hold," the General told them. The casualness of the call wasn't entirely a surprise as the Commander and the General had gone through boot camp together.

"What is it sir?" Mandora asked.

"We have some credible tips that the Mutants are on the move," Roy admitted.

"Seriously? Now?" Tiberius was surprised.

"That's what I thought too. I don't know why they are on the move though. Until we know what their plans are, do not leave Third Earth. Your presence will still be enough of a deterrent if they are indeed heading your way," Roy said.

"I would agree General but how many Mutants are we talking about?" Mandora wanted to know.

"As of right now, there are four large ships, but none of them are large enough to take on the battle cruiser," he said. The ICF had built their battle cruisers large enough to hold five thousand troops. This size was more than enough to deter the enemy as the next largest ship could only hold two thousand troops. Besides the size of the ship, the guns on the battle cruisers were powerful enough to destroy large ships. No one else had that kind of fire power. While their weapons were hardly ever used, they were enough of a deterrent, that no planet had attempted to out gun the ICF. They kept the entire galaxy safe and most were glad for the lack of piracy and other violent crimes. Safer travel meant more business which meant better economies.

"Weird. You'd think after we took down those that killed Baki that they'd get the hint," James frowned.

"Yes. We'll talk again soon. In the meantime, stay safe," the General said before ending the call.

"This makes me nervous," Mandora shook her head.

"Me too. Let's get down to the planet's surface. Lion-O will want to know this," Tiberius said.


	3. Chapter 3

"You wanna run that by me again?" Panthro asked. The ThunderCats and their Mutant allies had met in the large dining room once Mandora had signaled that she and the Commander had news. The two Evil Chasers had explained what the General had told them leaving the group in disbelief.

"That's what we said," Tiberius told him.

"Four large ships…" Arzu was frowning.

"What are you thinking?" Slythe asked her.

"Well anything that size but obviously not our largest ships doesn't sound like an attack force. On the other hand, they aren't exploratory ships either. That doesn't leave much in the way of choices," she said.

"Choices?" Cheetara raised an eyebrow.

"I just mean options for what a small convoy like that would be for. The only things that I can think of would be diplomatic convoy or some sort of supply run," Arzu told them.

"Well when was the last time that the Mutants actually sent out a diplomatic convoy?" Tygra asked.

"Yeah I can't remember when that was," Refik said.

"What supplies could they possibly need four ships for?" Lion-O finally piped up.

"I have no idea. The bigger problem is if they can't find what they're looking for, then they'll go on a pillaging raid," Ayşegül shook her head.

"So, either way – not good," Ben-Gali said.

"They'd have to be a special kind of stupid to come over here though," Hamza said.

"I think that's why the General wanted me and the battle cruiser to stay put. If they're looking for trouble, they'll go bother someone else. When they do, we'll need to make a quick exit to cut them off at the pass. First Class will stay on the surface and I must return to the ship. I'll give you updates as soon as I can," the Commander stood from his seat and Lion-O stood up with him.

"We appreciate everything. Thank you," the lion said.

"Of course," Tiberius shook his hand and then was off. Cheetara noticed the deflated look on Mandora's face and decided to ask her about it later.

"I'm on duty watch in an hour. Everyone go about your day as usual. Nothing to do but wait until we hear anything," Lion-O spoke to the group.

"I believe it's my turn at the watch as well," Slythe said.

"Ah two troublemakers watching the screens. What could go wrong?" the lion teased.

"I'm off to check on Timur," Ben-Gali said. Pumyra was in the Med Bay, no longer requiring treatment but giving Timur his checkup. Being born two and a half months early, Timur had spent three months in the incubator. Slowly after that, the tubes that helped him breathe and eat, were slowly removed. He was passing the tests that the medical team from the Evil Chasers' ship but Pumyra couldn't shake that something was wrong.

"For being almost nine months old, I just…" the puma shook her head as she held onto her son. Ben-Gali had joined her as he said he would, and they were waiting for Doctor Avery. They didn't need to wait long as the nice older man comes into the exam room.

"What did you find?" The puma asked, concerned that he'd confirm her fears.

"Well I'm concerned with his vision and his cognitive capabilities. Being born as early as he was, it's possible that he's just a little behind. The problem is, he can't tell us," Avery explained.

"What milestones is he missing?" Ben-Gali asked.

"He seemed to be having trouble recognizing me. We've spent a lot of time together and I should be a familiar face. He didn't reach for any of the toys, I had to hand them to him, and even then, he seemed to lose interest almost immediately. Timur also doesn't seem all that interested in sitting up. I tried to help him, and he just went back to laying down as soon as he could. I'd like to try and scan his ears, his eyes, and his brain. We may be able to find a cause," Avery told them.

"What if this is just how he is?" Pumyra's worst fears had been confirmed.

"Well that just means he'll need more help than a regular child. We can tackle that later, if we need to," the doctor tried to reassure them but both parents' hearts sunk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note some dark themes in this chapter. It could be upsetting. It was done to illustrate the progress made. Sometimes things in the past are uncomfortable but they need to be discussed. I don't mean to offend, just to fill in the historical gaps for our characters.

Some time had passed since the meeting and Cheetara had just seen Lion-O off to his on duty shift in the Control Room. As she was leaving, the cheetah had managed to corner Mandora, who had been just coming in from outside the Lair. The new Queen was about to ask the blonde a few pertinent questions when both ladies saw Lea come out of her office and start to head toward the Med Bay. Concerned that something was going on, they were about to find out what the lioness had to say when she turned around and stopped them in the middle of the hall.

"Look I don't know what is going on but we may need to have a girls' night later. I don't get called in for a consult unless there is something wrong," Lea heaved a sigh.

"Well is there anything we can do now?" Cheetara asked.

"I have to assess and then I'll let you know. My quick guess would be Timur's condition," the lioness said.

"If he needs more specialists, I can put in a call to headquarters," Mandora reminded her.

"I will check and see what Doctor Avery has to say and let you know," Lea nodded and then continued on her way.

"That can't be good," Mandora heaved a sigh.

"I'm guessing not – developmental delays are to be expected but this seems worse than that. With everyone's help though, we can give him the best life possible. It takes a village. Pumyra and Ben will have everything they need to give Timur what he needs and what they need," the cheetah wasn't about to let her friends down.

"How would they handle something like this back on Thundera?" The Evil Chaser asked.

"Well before such things were understood, not well. Those that could not afford care would often dump the child at an orphanage, knowing that they would never be adopted. Most of the time, facilities didn't have the funding to handle cases of children who were different. They'd end up on the streets when they aged out or quite often they didn't make it to that age. Some would skip the orphanages and just…" Cheetara didn't want to finish the thought. She'd heard the horror stories of people finding dead children and for a while, it was thought that there was some sort of predator, stealing children and killing them. It wasn't until the incidents were further investigated that it was determined the predator was their own kind.

"Ouch," Mandora cringed. It wasn't an uncommon story. Many civilizations viewed anyone with mental or physical handicaps in poor light before medical science allowed them to be explained and treated. Didn't mean that it didn't hurt to hear the horror stories.

"Well as medical science began to evolve, things got much better. Didn't mean there weren't still issues with the system but Lion-O's grandfather worked hard to change the system. Claudus was in the middle of making more improvements when we lost the planet," the cheetah explained.

"I'm glad to hear that things were improving. Now you weren't tracking me down for that. Did you and Lion-O need something or…" the Evil Chaser started.

"My original intention was to ask you about the Commander," Cheetara didn't let her finish.

"As much as I like you guys, I've always felt more at home amongst the stars. Once Tiberius leaves, I will be here, left to guard those that don't really need my guarding," Mandora deflected.

"You miss space? It was always a cold, dark place for me. I much prefer planet life. While you are right, we can guard ourselves, it is not just us we worry about. We would be vastly outnumbered should the Mutants try anything. We lose this planet and its people could be enslaved. Somehow though, I think there is more to your brave face, than you're willing to admit," the cheetah narrowed her eyes. Mandora heaved a sigh and was about to spill the beans when an announcement was put over the Lair's system.

"Mandora to the Control Room. Call from Commander Tiberius," Lion-O said. Quickly, both ladies headed back into the Control Room. Once inside, the King switched on the video call.

"What have we got?" The Evil Chaser asked, without any pleasantries.

"I received another call from General Grinsted, First Class. Mutants are inbound to our position. Put the planet on high alert. The ships should be here within the next twelve hours," Tiberius told them.

"What the hell are they thinking?" Slythe asked.

"No offense but it sounds like a death wish to me. I'll keep you posted. We'll try and head them off. I'm moving the ship out of planetary orbit but on the edge of communication range. Talk to you soon," with that the call ended.

"Call a meeting. We need to update everyone," Lion-O said.


	5. Chapter 5

Once everyone was updated and the word sent out across the planet, Lion-O and Slythe settled in to finish their shift. There wasn't much they could do but wait for more word from the Commander. The Mutant had been quiet since the meeting and the lion wondered if he should ask what he's thinking about.

"This is has to be some sort of ploy," Slythe finally spoke up about an hour later.

"What does?" Lion-O asked without taking his eyes off the screen. Willa had just lit her signal fire to let them know that the message was received and that reinforcements were en-route. The Berbils had sent in their electronic message that they would hunker down and that the Balkans and Wollos would do the same. The biggest concern was that he had yet to hear from Snowman. Wizz-Ra had come to the Lair as soon as he'd heard what was going on. He'd then been immediately commandeered by the medical staff to take a look at something regarding the Timur. Ma-Mutt had been missing for most of the day but Refik had confirmed that he was down in the Med Bay, trying to be supportive.

"Like they'll claim it's a diplomatic mission and then sabotage or attempt to kill someone," his watch partner explained.

"Sounds like standard procedure, no offense," Lion-O said.

"Yes, that is the oldest trick in the Mutant hand book but unless I've missed something, the High Council has not been overthrown. The wars with the Moons of Plundarr have slowed but not being able to fight a war on multiple fronts has left Plundarr in bad shape. They know that we would not help them fight the Lunataks, even if the whole 'enemy of my enemy, is my friend' thing would work out," Slythe said.

"Yeah we'd get stabbed in the back, first chance they got. The High Council is just as interested in the Eye of Thundera as Mumm-Ra was," the King nodded.

"Besides they burned that bridge when they had Baki and the others killed," the Mutant shook his head.

"Oh I would concur," Lion-O said then he turned to Slythe as if something just occurred to him. The reptile gave him a look, unsure of what made him turn from the screen.

"What if we aren't the target? Well not initially…" Lion-O trailed off.

"You think they'd try something stupid, more than they already have?" Slythe watched him swirl back around in his chair and quickly attempt to reach the Evil Chaser battle cruiser.

"What's going on?" Commander Tiberius was concerned. He wasn't expecting a call from the planet's surface.

"This might sound nuts but how many Mutants do you think it would take to take command of your ship?" Lion-O asked and it was then that Slythe understood his concerns.

"Well they'd have to know the layout of the ship in order to do that. No one has access to those outside of ICF headquarters and the people on board the ship," Tiberius said.

"Sure but if they say took you hostage and threatened to kill you, what would your crew do?" Lion-O wanted to know.

"The protocol is to go into immediate lockdown and if the Commander must sacrifice themselves, then they are to do so. The ship is to remain in Evil Chaser hands at all costs. You're thinking that their initial target won't be the planet?" The Commander was catching on.

"What better way to destroy their enemy than to turn a battle cruiser loose on the planet?" The King asked.

"If they come under the guise of a diplomatic mission, I cannot refuse their request to board," Tiberius said.

"Get on the horn to the ICF. They need to know what we could be dealing with. You may need to take action," Lion-O told him. Tiberius nodded and quickly ended the phone call.

"You really think they'd try it?" Slythe wondered.

"Think of all the problems it solves for them. You'd have a state of the art ship which could effectively move thousands of Mutants off Plundarr at a time. If we have been removed from Third Earth, they could move in. Arzu said that the planet was overtaxed. You're running out of supplies, you can't keep fighting your planetary neighbors, and the planet is failing, what do you do?" Lion-O asked.

"Find a new planet, preferably not one close to your own," Slythe clenched his fists.


	6. Chapter 6

"They're getting desperate but you really think that desperate?" Arzu asked after she'd been brought up to speed. Slythe had called her, Cheetara, and Mandora down to the Control Room while they were waiting to hear back from Commander Tiberius.

"I have no idea but Lion-O had a point. They could effectively wipe us off the planet and then take it over once we're gone," the Mutant said.

"They would use the battle cruiser to call to the others back home and they would come in droves. Once the planet had been physically secured, then they could take the battle cruiser back to Plundarr and pick up all those left behind along with equipment. It's a scary proposition but one that could work. Their only problem is, even if they managed to take over the battle cruiser, there would be no way that the ICF would let it go unpunished," Arzu pointed out.

"That's why I called Tiberius to let him know. Hopefully the sight of a second battle cruiser would blow up their plans," Lion-O said.

"I need to reach the Commander. Try calling him," Mandora had a look on her face which none of them could place. The lion just nodded and tried to reach the ship.

"Vickers, where is the Commander?" Mandora asked once the Private popped up on the screen.

"He's still on a call with General Grinsted, First Class," Vickers responded.

"How long has he been on the call?" She wanted to know.

"At least the last fifteen minutes," the Private said.

"Talking or on hold?" Mandora was practically demanding at this point.

"On hold for the last six minutes, I figure," he told her.

"Damn," she cursed.

"I'll have him call when he gets off the line with the General," the Private promised before ending the call.

"What was all that about?" Cheetara asked.

"The General didn't make the decision. He went to the brass. The nearest battle cruiser is outside of our range giving the speed of the Mutant ships. By the time they make a decision, the Mutants will be on our doorstep. Lion-O, we need the leaders of the peoples of Third Earth, on the horn as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling that we're on our own," Mandora shook her head.

"How far out is the nearest battle cruiser?" Arzu wanted to know.

"We're down to ten hours before they arrive. Nearest battle cruiser is at least twelve hours out – that doesn't take into effect how long it'll take HQ to figure out what to do," the Evil Chaser said. Lion-O said nothing and just pressed the alarm button which meant everyone who could, would come running. Once they were all there, the King ran down what they were dealing with. Mandora grew more and more concerned as they had yet to receive a call back as another half an hour went by while the group was being brought up to speed and the Commander had yet to call.

When the computer finally signaled a call coming in, some fifteen minutes later, Mandora practically jumped over Lion-O and pulled it up on screen. She could tell by the look on Tiberius' face that the news was not what they were hoping for.

"They have started to move the Farragut toward our airspace but it is effectively twelve hours out. In the meantime, I am not to allow any Mutants aboard my ship; even if they claim to be a diplomatic mission. However, this does not mean they will not attempt to board by force. We are prepared for that," he told them.

"I've sent Panthro to retrieve Snowman and Snowmeow. I have not heard from them and I need them here. Tygra and the Kittens have headed out to get Willa and Nada. We'll all be here awaiting instructions. In the meantime, we intend to go to red alert once the time window gets down to about an hour. Is the Farragut the same size as your ship?" Lion-O asked.

"She is bigger. That is why she has a name and not just a number like we do. Newest in the fleet and enough to scare the pants off of anyone who gets near her. We just need to hold out until she arrives. Personally, we can take them without the Farragut but the brass wants to show force. Make sure that no one else across the galaxy gets any ideas," Tiberius explained.

"Then all we can do is wait and update the leaders and possibly ready the troops should something happen down here. We need to find mines on this planet and get working on making more vehicles, capable of flying, when this is all over," the King said.

"That is not a bad plan," the Commander said.


	7. Chapter 7

Lion-O had quickly addressed the leaders of Third Earth once they all arrived. Everyone knew what was at stake and what could be happening. Needless to say, things were tense. The Warrior Maidens promised to be back in time for any Mutant action. Snowman and Snowmeow were staying put.

Now as the two hour mark approached, Cheetara and Ben-Gali were manning the controls. Lion-O had tried to catch a short nap while Slythe just paced and spoke to Arzu and her crew. They were still wracking their brains on what the inbound ships could be up to.

The cheetah wanted to speak to the white tiger regarding his son but she figured there was enough going on without her poking the bear as it were. However, it seemed that Ben-Gali had other plans.

"They're analyzing all of the scans," he told her.

"Hopefully there is some good news to be found," Cheetara said.

"What if there isn't? What if he's permanently damaged?" He asked.

"Well we give him as much love and medical care as we can. For all we know, we are the last of our kind. We must be a community and help the three of you out as much as we can," the cheetah told him.

"If we survive the coming apocalypse right?" Ben-Gali wondered.

"Yes that kind of becomes a problem but we have a lot of help," Cheetara smiled.

"We do," he nodded. Their video screen lit up and the cheetah hit the button, pulling Commander Tiberius up on the screen.

"News?" Cheetara asked.

"Odd news. The ships have seemingly stopped. Our radar shows them holding their position approximately one hundred and fifty kilometers out from our position," he explained.

"Why would they do that?" Ben-Gali raised an eyebrow.

"My only guess is that they ran out of fuel. The Farragut would be too far out to appear on their radar," Tiberius told them.

"Hang on," Cheetara said. She pushed the overhead announcement button and quickly asked for Slythe and Arzu to report to the Control Room.

"They might have some insight," she said.

"Good idea. If they are dead in the water, I will have no choice but to answer a distress call. Unless I send the Farragut to scare them," the Commander suggested. Just then the two Mutants ducked into the Control Room and where quickly brought up to speed.

"Regrettably, running out of fuel wouldn't be a total surprise. They were hauling butt and fuel was sketchy on my last trip from Plundarr. We survived at getting fuel from space stations. They let us get fuel because we could prove we were no friends of the High Council. Of course, we weren't let off our ships either unless there were medical issues," Arzu explained.

"But could it be a ruse?" Tiberius wondered.

"Totally. I wouldn't put it past them. They haven't reached out yet though right?" Slythe asked.

"No. I've received no distress call," the Commander said.

"Then don't move. They'll make certain moves if they intend to try and lure you in," Arzu said.

"Do tell," Tiberius was interested to hear just what was possible. Slythe quickly recounted some tactics – starting and stopping movement again, using the trash chute as an alternate propulsion method (Mutant trash chutes blasted trash away from their ships at a high rate of speed and sometimes used it as a nudge while they worked on the engines), or the classic "we're working on a problem, we'll let you know if we need help" line. Often that last one was used to see if they could get someone to offer help – make it sound like the helpers then became the aggressor after they arrived on the scene.

"All right. I'll keep you posted," Tiberius promised before hanging up.

"Time to give me your opinions guys. What exactly do you think we're dealing with?" Cheetara looked at her Mutant companions.

"There has only been one Mutant in the history of Plundarr who has successfully pulled off the fuel problem against a ship as large as the Evil Chasers'," Arzu admitted.

"Colonel Rattigan," Slythe narrowed his eyes.

"Cousin to Ratar-O, and probably the only Mutant left who would try such a ballsy move," the female lizard said.

"Shake Lion-O out of bed," she ordered.


	8. Chapter 8

"Shouldn't they have made a move by now?" Lion-O wondered two hours later from his seat in the Control Room. He was wishing that he'd stayed in bed. The lion was exhausted.

"Something is completely off," Slythe agreed.

"The Farragut is now in range. Maybe they figure their window has closed," Arzu pointed out.

"More coffee?" Cheetara asked as she wheeled a cart into the room that had the hot liquid in an insulated pitcher. There were also some sandwiches, which the team practically dived on.

"Thanks," Lion-O smiled at her.

"Snarf wanted to go to bed, so I told him to go for it. The poor guy is totally drained. It's way past his bedtime," she said.

"It's past _my_ bedtime," Slythe muttered.

"He's getting cranky," Arzu smirked.

"Not tired?" Lion-O asked her.

"When you spend so much time in the depths of space, days and nights don't exist. It's all based on your internal clock. It doesn't take much for that to get all screwy. You just start following the clock instead. Soon, I was staying up for eighteen hours at a stretch. Refik finally yelled at me but I still don't get much more than six hours of continuous sleep," the female lizard admitted.

"Incoming call," Slythe announced. He punched the buttons and up popped Commander Tiberius. He was about to say something when Mandora walked into the Control Room.

"First Class," he acknowledged her, but she did not say anything. Cheetara felt the temperature in the room drop about fifteen degrees; a chill ran up her spine, something that didn't go unnoticed by Lion-O.

"What do you have for us Commander?" Slythe asked.

"The Farragut attempted to hail the Mutant ships but has gotten no response. They have not moved an inch and we're beginning to wonder if their life support systems are failing. We cannot ignore them any longer," Tiberius said.

"Then might I suggest that myself and Arzu join the boarding team? If it is who we think it could be, then he's been waiting you out. If he takes over the shuttle, he'll attempt to overtake the Farragut which puts us all in terrible danger," Slythe wondered.

"I'm already sending a ship down for First Class, board it with her. We could use your expertise," with that the phone call ended.

"Be careful you two. We'd really like to have you back," Lion-O said.

"We'll do our best," Arzu winked and headed out of the room. Slythe followed her. Mandora however, remained rooted in her spot, leaning against the back wall. Lion-O looked at Cheetara and his wife looked at him.

"I need to see Panthro about something," with that the lion left the room, leaving the two ladies alone.

"What is going on Mandora?" Cheetara asked.

"I cannot have my cake and eat it too," she said.

"What do you mean?" the cheetah was confused.

"If I am to follow my heart then I must give up my career. How can I stop doing what I love?" The blonde wanted to know.

"This is something we will figure out, but you need to be completely clear on this mission. The Mutants…" the cheetah didn't get a chance to finish as Mandora stood up and headed for the door.

"The Mutants need to be worried about me," with that she left the room, seemingly back into her typical self. Cheetara began to worry and quickly found Lion-O. She explained what had just gone down between her and the Evil Chaser. He frowned but could do nothing as Slythe, Arzu, and Mandora boarded the ship that would take them to the Commander's ship.


	9. Chapter 9

The shuttle approached the still non-responsive lead Mutant ship. They were going to have to board by force since the normal boarding procedures could not be used. Each Mutant ship had a boarding location specifically meant for transfer of people or goods while in space. The Evil Chasers had a similar location accessible by airlock.

Private Schultz put on a space suit and walked into the airlock. He grabbed the exterior handles to force open the door to the Mutant airlock and found it unmovable. The Private moved back into the safety of the Evil Chaser shuttle and explained the situation.

"It could be barred on the inside to avoid it being forced open or it could broken. Either way, it seems we must go in the hard way," Slythe said.

"Hand me the blow torch and the cutting tools," Private Schultz nodded. Private Nugent handed his cohort the tools and Schultz headed back into the airlock. The boarding group watched as the Private used the tools to cut off the handle. With the shaft of the lock broken, the handle fell away and the Private could see through the small hole in the door. He stuck his hand into the hole and tugged. The door still refused to budge. He frowned and decided he had no choice but to cut around the entire opening. Beginning the tedious work, Schultz carefully cut the outline of the door.

After thirty minutes, his hard work was rewarded. The door was now completely loose, and he pushed it into the Mutant ship. He then made sure that the connection to the ship was able to be completed and indicated to the crew back on the ship to create the proper environment to keep the space outside from getting into either ship. Private Nugent quickly did so and now the boarding party could walk on through to the Mutant ship without space suits. They only needed oxygen masks in case the life support systems were indeed broken.

"No resistance?" Slythe seemed concerned as he moved through the newly created opening in the ship.

"That does seem odd, but they could be waiting to ambush us," Arzu said, right behind him.

"Oxygen levels are reading a little low but not low enough to suggest the life support systems aren't working," Mandora spoke up from behind the female Mutant. Behind her were ten other Evil Chasers.

"Leave your masks on. I wouldn't put it past Colonel Rattigan to poison the air supply in an attempt to get rid of us," Slythe instructed. No one removed their masks and the group pressed on through the ship, making a right turn which would take them toward the bridge.

"Should we split up?" Mandora asked. If they wanted to avoid being ambushed, a full search of the ship was in order.

"No. if we make it to the bridge, we can control everything in the ship. If anyone is still on the ship, we can flush them out," Arzu told her.

"You're betting that they're all on the bridge," the blonde said.

"It would be the best place to be," Slythe admitted, so they pressed on. Arzu had a bad feeling as they moved through the ship. There was little evidence that the ship was being lived in. No personal effects, no garbage, everything seemed like it was in place, which was odd. Perhaps, in an effort to make sure that the Mutants on the ship could not be readily identified, they cleaned the ship up first. A sound tactic, as it would not give any hints as to how many were on the ship or who they were.

"Ready yourselves," Slythe said, the closed door in front of him lead to the bridge. Calmly, he swung his axe in his hand, while with the other hand, he knocked on the door.

"Open the door. We have Evil Chasers with us. It is best for you to open the door and surrender," Slythe announced.

"Is that you brother?" a voice came back and Slythe looked at Arzu. She shrugged.

"It is Slythe and Arzu. We don't want to hurt anyone. We just want to know why you're here," he said. The door then slid open and there stood another lizard.

"Bayram?" Slythe gave the lizard a look.

"It is you! You old dog!" The Mutant on the other side of the door pulled him into a hug.

"Uh you wanna clue us in?" Mandora asked.

"Bayram, this is Mandora, Evil Chaser First Class. She's helping us along with her cohorts. Bayram and I served under Baki. Why didn't you answer the radio brother?" Slythe wanted to know. While they were not related, the two had grown close during their time in the service and often called each other brother.

"The radio is busted, and my machinist thinks it's beyond repair. To be honest, we were never trained properly on these kinds of things," the Mutant admitted.

"How many of you are there?" Arzu asked, it was hard to see around the large lizard. He looked a lot like Slythe but there were distinct differences, most notably Bayram's smaller ears.

"There are fifty of us. We defected. Regrettably, all we got was this rust bucket," Bayram shook his head.

"We'll escort you to the shuttle and we'll conduct interviews before we do anything else," Mandora said.

"We expected you'd say that. We are ready for you. Once I heard that Slythe had made it safely to Third Earth, I knew we had to try," Bayram told them.

"Are the other ships defectors as well?" Mandora wanted to know.

"Other ships?" Bayram seemed confused. Slythe gave him a look. His friend was a well-trained ground soldier, but he knew nothing of how to fly a spaceship. Apparently, neither did the rest of his defectors. Slythe pushed past his friend and headed to the ship's controls.

"We programmed in the coordinates, but I don't think the radar works right," a vulture who was near the controls told him. Slythe punched some more of the buttons and confirmed his fears.

"Everybody out now!" He bellowed. Arzu didn't hesitate and neither did Mandora; the other Evil Chasers followed. Bayram quickly followed with his fellow defectors made a move toward the exit. Mandora radioed the Farragut and told them to put a weapons lock on the three remaining ships.

"Move! Move! Move!" Slythe roared. The group was trying to funnel as fast as they could through the opening. That's when the ship's warning system went off. The other ships had locked on with their weapons. They were running out of time.


	10. Chapter 10

Commander Tiberius looked on in horror as the Mutant ship exploded on the video screen. He shouted at the men at the ship's controls to raise the shuttle. The explosion however caused interference and the shuttle could not be raised. The Farragut didn't wait to see if anyone from the shuttle called in. Mandora had issued instructions and now there could be dead Evil Chasers, so her Commander, Robert McCoy, had his troops fire on the three remaining Mutant ships.

The first hit caused one of the Mutant ships to explode. The second hit disabled the second Mutant ship. As the third ship attempted to turn tail, it caught a shot from the Farragut in one of its engines. There was an explosion, but the ship was not destroyed as the first ship had been. It sputtered and stopped. McCoy, from his command chair on the Farragut's bridge, then had his troops open all hailing frequencies and issue the following ultimatum:

"Heave to or be destroyed. You have thirty seconds to respond." The troops waited for a response and one did indeed come over the airwaves.

"This is Mutant Ship five-beta-eight. We are totally disabled and cannot heave to. We will surrender."

"Mutant Ship five-beta-eight, you will be visited by shuttlecraft. You will lay down any weapons you have. Should any weapons be discovered on anyone's person, that person will be shot on sight," McCoy issued his warning, using the radio console in his chair. There was a silence over the radio.

"You have been party to at a minimum of attempted murder of unarmed innocents, you will comply, or you will be terminated per Section Five-Six-Three of the International Space Code. Indicate that you understand," the Commander spoke again. Finally, a few moments passed before they heard,

"We will comply."

"Good," with that McCoy turned his focus to the ship that had not responded. He told his troops to open the hailing frequencies again.

"Mutant ship! Your cohorts have surrendered. You have ten seconds to do the same or pay the price," McCoy practically barked. That's when one of the officers at the controls, Sergeant Barker, announced,

"We have a blinking light Commander!" On the video screen, there was a message being repeated in Morse Code.

"We surrender. Radio broken. Wounded on board. In need of medical help," Sergeant Barker spoke as he translated.

"Mutant ship, medical personnel are at the ready. You will be boarded. Again, if anyone has a weapon on them when we board the ship, that person will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?" McCoy said over the radio.

"We understand and will comply," Sergeant Barker translated.

"Have the shuttle crews head out. Keep the weapons lock on both ships. We can't take any chances. Any word from the shuttle?" The Commander asked.

"Nothing yet. I've tried raising Battle Cruiser Two-Four-Six but no luck. They must be attempting to get word from the shuttle and helping with any wounded," Sergeant Yanching announced.

"All right, we'll deal with these buggers and keep trying," McCoy nodded. They focused on what was going on around them, making sure to keep all their own crew members safe.

Meanwhile, Slythe woke up in a fog, his ears ringing. Then he felt something hit him. Given how he was feeling and the bright light in his eyes, he couldn't figure out where he was or what was going on.

"Don't you ever do that again!" That he recognized. It was Arzu.

"Please don't hit him. I need to examine him," an unfamiliar voice said. He must be in the infirmary on the shuttle. He should have been the last one out of the other ship. Hopefully, that meant he'd received the worst of it, but he didn't know how wrong he was.


	11. Chapter 11

Commander McCoy had rounded up the Mutants from the other two ships. The ships were stripped of all that could be useful – records, such as flight logs and personnel lists, weapons, and the ship computers. Sergeant Barker had radioed Interplanetary Control Force Headquarters. Backup was on the way. That backup would drag the two disabled ships back to headquarters along with what had been found on them. All prisoners, including the wounded, would be transferred to the backup ships and then to the Penal Planet.

"How bad is it?" Commander McCoy asked his comrade, two hours later. He'd retreated to his office for a private video chat with Commander Tiberius.

"Most made it off the Mutant Ship without too many injuries. The shuttle was damaged badly enough that we had to tractor beam it back into the vehicle bay. It's basically useless," he said.

"What aren't you telling me, James?" Robert always seemed to know when his friend was holding back.

"Mandora went back to make sure that Slythe was able to get off the Mutant ship. A large piece of shrapnel was lodged in her shoulder. The doctors have been working on her for the last three hours," Tiberius admitted.

"That is why she is a First Class; always others before herself. Why do I feel like there is more to it than that?" Robert raised an eyebrow. James nodded and his friend nodded back.

"I am sorry. I will send medical help over," McCoy offered.

"All of those Mutants need to be alive. Slythe and Arzu believe that Colonel Rattigan, cousin to Ratar-O, could have been on those ships," Tiberius told him.

"None of the Mutants we picked up have popped up as such. We've been confirming their legal status through the database – facial and fingerprints. I'm sure that Rattigan would have definitely rung bells," Robert said.

"Maybe he died on the other ship. I will send you Arzu; she could identify him or at a minimum interrogate the other Mutants," James said.

"Good plan. Backup is still at least six hours out," McCoy let him know.

"Very good," Tiberius nodded.

"You tell Mandora that we're all pulling for her," Robert said.

"I will," a slight smile from James and that was the end of the call. Tiberius then headed out of his office and now the ship's Med Bay. As he went through the door, Nurse Kelly Pepper stopped him.

"Commander, I was just coming to find you," she said.

"Do you have news on First Class?" He asked.

"Yes sir. She has been wheeled into recovery. The doctors were able to remove the shrapnel. The next few hours will be important," the nurse explained.

"Why? What aren't you telling me?" The Commander raised an eyebrow. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"The shrapnel was the only thing keeping her thoracoacromial artery together – that artery serves the shoulder and upper chest area. The doctors had to use grafts to put it back together. We're checking the circulation in her arm and we have to keep her sedated so she doesn't move too much," Kelly said.

"I want updates every twenty minutes. I also need Arzu," he told her.

"Yes sir," the nurse hurried away to find the female Mutant. Tiberius heaved a sigh. When this was all over, he and Mandora needed to have a serious conversation.


	12. Chapter 12

"Why would I talk to you?" The Mutant across the table asked. They were inside an interrogation room and this unlucky lizard had been pegged to find out what he knew.

"Because if you don't, you'll get blamed for whatever happens to the Evil Chaser that's in the ICU," Arzu said from across the table. The metal chairs weren't overly comfortable but Arzu didn't want her quarry to be comfortable.

"Pretty sure it doesn't matter what happens to the pig. I'm screwed no matter what happens," he said.

"Listen Grotke, there's a big difference between five years for assault and life without parole for murder. You see what I'm saying? Of course, I hear the Penal Planet is lovely this time of year," Arzu challenged. Grotke narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're a traitor. Why would I believe you?" He asked.

"Because I curry favor with the Evil Chasers and ThunderCats. Tell me what I wanna know and you'll get protective custody and a short prison term. Don't and take your chances. I'm sure I can get someone else to squeal," she shrugged. The Mutant across the table from her looked like he was about to crack.

"I'm not the Captain. Why me?" He asked.

"The Captain couldn't see the forest through the trees. He remains loyal to the High Council. Tell me, when did the High Council last help Plundarr's soldiers out?" Arzu wondered.

"What if I want to defect?" Grotke wanted to know.

"You just tried to kill a bunch of defectors. Now you want to defect?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't press the button. I wasn't the one who gave the order. Colonel Rattigan gave the order and that moron of a Captain agreed to it," he said.

"Where is the Colonel?" Arzu inquired.

"Where would you expect him to be? He's sitting on his fat ass back home," Grotke said.

"So, he ordered the hit. How'd the defectors end up with such a piece of shit ship?" She wanted to know.

"All I know is that a report had come in about a ship fleeing the atmosphere. It was thought the ship was in bad enough shape that it wouldn't survive clearing the atmosphere. When it survived, we were ordered to go after it. There was a pretty good idea where they were heading. The Colonel wanted a booby trap. I think he figured we'd nail you or Slythe. When the Captain relayed that the Evil Chasers where on site, we were told to finish the mission. I'm guessing the Captain knew that it might be the end of us, but he did as he was told. Those poor bastards on the other ship… that's what they got for following orders," he said.

"They had to know what would be coming. They fired on innocent people who did not provoke them, in front of Evil Chasers," Arzu gave him a look.

"Perhaps they preferred suicide over what would be coming if they came home without completing their mission," Grotke pointed out. Arzu nodded. They both knew the price of failure and it wasn't something that they liked to talk about. Punishment completely depended on the commander and Colonel Rattigan wasn't exactly known for his understanding or lenience.

"Let me talk to my people and we'll see what we can do for you," she said. With that, Arzu left the room and met up with Commander McCoy in the room on the other side of the one-way glass.

"I've had my crew update Lion-O," he said.

"I hope you told him to prepare," Arzu said.

"For what?" McCoy gave her a confused look.

"I'm guessing by now that Rattigan knows his crews aren't coming back. He'll be making his plans. Much like his cousin, Rattigan doesn't give up," she told him.

"Then we'll make sure we're ready," McCoy nodded.


	13. Chapter 13

Lion-O climbed into bed; his loving wife was already there. It had been a long day and they were looking forward to getting some sleep. Cheetara moved her head onto his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple before settling into sleep.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

"What the…" Lion-O moaned; it felt like it had only been twenty minutes. It had in fact been a little over an hour.

"Sweet Jaga, seriously?" Cheetara moaned as well before grabbing the bedside receiver.

"Sorry guys, I hate to wake you, but we've received word from the Evil Chasers," it was Lea on the radio panel, which confused them as Panthro was supposed to be in the Control room on watch.

"What kind of word?" Cheetara wanted to know.

"Rattigan wasn't among the ships' crew. He is back on Plundarr. Enemy is being transported to the Penal Planet as we speak. Mandora is not in a good way. They've induced a coma, hoping that her body will heal better this way," Lea explained.

"Great Jaga's ghost," Lion-O heaved a sigh.

"Evil Chasers are bracing for a bigger fight. They'd like to see you both in the morning," Lea told them.

"Very good. We'll join them. We'll talk about you covering for Panthro later. Goodnight," Lion-O ended the conversation and the two tried to settle back into sleep. They needed to be fully functioning in the morning.

Down in the Control Room, Lea heaved a sigh after ending the call. She turned her head to the corner of the room, where Panthro stood, stark naked. Late night hanky panky in the Control Room had almost become something that Commander McCoy got a front row seat to when he bopped onto the video screen.

"That's the last time I let you convince me to try this," Lea gave him a look. Panthro sheepishly put his clothes back on.

"I figured we were in the clear. It's almost midnight," he said in his own defense. He slid into the seat next to her.

"I know we haven't had a lot of time to ourselves lately and we have to make the most of whatever time we do have, but we need to be more careful," she told him.

"All right. We'll figure it out. Now your original reason for visiting me was…" the panther trailed off.

"Timur. Ma-Mutt refuses to leave the little one's side. I'm not sure that's a bad thing but what if we helped Ma-Mutt help Timur?" Lea asked.

"You've got my attention. What are you thinking?" Panthro wanted to know.

"What if we had a harness that would help Ma-Mutt help Timur sit up? Maybe if Ma-Mutt is doing it, then Timur might be more willing to do it? Studies have shown that animals help those that are incapacitated – whether mentally or physically," she explained.

"It's a start. We can talk to the doctor and see what he thinks. Then I can get Ben to help me make it," he smiled.

"It would be a welcome distraction," Lea nodded.

"They aren't handling this well, are they?" Panthro asked.

"Would you?" She wondered.

"I don't know. It would be a disappointment if I could not do what my father did with me when I was a cub, but I would try to make life as best as I could. I'm sure that they will do the same. It's just overwhelming," he said.

"Yes it is," the lioness frowned.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning Lion-O and Cheetara boarded Commander Tiberius' ship for the meeting that the Evil Chasers had requested. Neither one had had time to track down Lea or Panthro so their friends were forgotten for the moment. The Kittens were manning the Control Room and had perkily greeted their King and Queen.

"Thanks for joining us your Highnesses," Commander McCoy said as he took his seat at the table inside the conference room. It was a small room with only enough room for six and the Thunderians figured it was a private room for meetings such as this.

"Please just Lion-O and Cheetara. We're all friends here," the lion smiled as they sat next to one another and across the table from the Commander.

"Very good. Arzu worked her magic and I think that she's right, which is why we called this meeting," the Commander said.

"Persuasive were you?" Cheetara asked the female lizard.

"Quite," Arzu smirked from her seat next to Commander McCoy, before she continued, "Rattigan's orders were to get to me and Slythe or anyone else they could get their hands on. Slythe's friend, Bayram, was driving the refugee ship. Most of the refugees are doing ok. Just Slythe and Mandora are in bad shape, though I must admit Slythe is in much better shape."

"He just has a concussion and some cuts and bruises. Mandora's body seems to be handling things better; the coma has been helpful," Tiberius spoke up from his seat at the head of the table. The opposite head of the table held a video screen, in case they needed it.

"Glad to hear it," Lion-O said.

"As am I. I hope she is back on her feet soon," Cheetara nodded.

"We all do as Arzu believes that Rattigan won't give up. We're going to need all the help we can get," McCoy told them.

"You think after this disaster that they'll send more troops? Seems like a bad idea," Lion-O raised an eyebrow.

"I think he'll do what he usually does – send someone into battle with only half the information. He'll tell the troops that their cohorts have succeeded but are in need of backup. Then when they get here, they'll find out that isn't true," Arzu explained.

"How have you guys survived this long?" Cheetara was confused.

"You misunderstand. He'll send troops that he questions their loyalty. If they turn out to be loyal, they'll fight to the death. If they aren't, then it'll be no loss of the High Council," the female lizard told them.

"Good grief," Lion-O shook his head.

"Won't he run out of troops that way?" Tiberius asked.

"He has a running list – he knows enough about his troops to trust his gut. He's shrewd and would rather have men who would die for him than those that question his authority," Arzu expounded.

"He must rule with an iron fist since he cannot gain respect any other way," Cheetara frowned.

"Indeed. So we are planning on the Farragut staying with us for the time being. I have been ordered to stay put until the incident has been resolved," Tiberius said. There was a knock on the door and the Commander bade them to enter.

"Sirs, ma'ams, we just received word from HQ. Movement has been spotted in Mutant airspace," Private Vickers announced.

"What should we do on the planet's surface?" Lion-O wanted to know.

"We're going to help arm you. We better get started," Commander McCoy said.


	15. Chapter 15

It was another long day as Lion-O sat down to dinner with Cheetara. Snarf had hurriedly served them as they were eating just after everyone else. He wanted to be sure they got food that hadn't had to be reheated too much.

"He's still babying you," his wife chuckled after the little helper disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Here I am, King of the Thunderians, Lord of the ThunderCats, and married, and he's still treating me like I'm a cub. Old habits, I suppose," Lion-O nodded before tucking into his meatloaf.

"I suppose you'd be eighty and Snarf one hundred and he'd still treat you like a little child. Your father gave him a responsibility and he would never disappoint Claudus," Cheetara smiled. Lion-O nodded again but he seemed far off.

"You still with me?" She asked, before taking a bite of her salad.

"I am, sorry," he said.

"You don't like all those weapons that the Evil Chasers gave us," the cheetah said. They had been spending all day getting the new weapons installed outside the Lair. Three were large anti-aircraft laser blaster guns and the other two were anti-ground vehicle blasters. Thankfully, with the Lair built into a mountain side, they were easy to place – two laser blasters and one anti-ground blaster out front of the Lair and the remaining weapons were placed on top of the mountain. Ben-Gali, Lynx-O, Hamza, and Lea had gone up the mountain to camp for the night so they could man the weapons if need be the next day. Panthro, WilyKit, WilyKat, and Esen would man the lower weapons with Lion-O and Cheetara manning the Control Room weapons. The Warrior Maidens made up the ground troops and Snowman and Snowmeow had joined them.

"I don't like that we might have to use them. It seems that more and more we are dragging the peoples of Third Earth into something they would normally not be having to worry about," Lion-O explained.

"Like we're the problem?" She wondered before scooping some of her mashed potatoes.

"Exactly," he said.

"Wrong. The Mutants would have come here first, like we did. They would have enslaved all the peoples of Third Earth. They would have used up all of their resources as they have on Plundarr and then moved on, leaving nothing but destruction and death in their wake. If we weren't here, Third Earth would have become a wasteland," his wife pointed out.

"You're probably right," Lion-O nodded for a third time while pushing his food around on his plate, which made Cheetara wonder if he was really listening.

"These new weapons will allow us to help protect them all. We may not be able to save them all, but we can certainly try," she told him.

"Being King is not all it is cracked up to be," Lion-O frowned.

"If you weren't prepared for it, you wouldn't be King. The weight of the world is on your shoulders, but they are also on mine. Let me share your burden. Don't bottle it up," the cheetah put down her silverware and put her hands on either side of his face, turning his head to face her. His eyes met hers.

"I am a very lucky man," he said.

"Yes, you are. Don't forget it," she teased. They went back to eating but only for a few minutes when Panthro entered the room. He'd been manning the Control Room until they could take over.

"Hey guys. Got word from the Evil Chasers. We've got only two ships approaching from the direction of Plundarr. Not much of a fight," the panther said.

"Whatever happens to them, Rattigan will respond. Best be on our toes," Lion-O told him.

"Agreed. Slythe is being transported to the surface and Tygra is going to take over his care. Arzu will remain on the Farragut and Ayşegül is heading up to join her. Esen has been educating the Kittens on the weapons," Panthro gave a full report. There was Lion-O nodding again.

"Very good. Now since we have a few minutes…" the lion gave him a look.

"Yes, why was Lea calling us the other night while you were on duty?" Cheetara wanted to know.

"She wanted to visit. We hardly see enough of each other during all this," the panther gave nothing away, but the two other cats could sense there was more to it.

"All righty… we'll be down to the Control Room soon," Lion-O smirked and Panthro practically ran out of the room.

"Control Room nookie or at least they were attempting it," Cheetara said.

"Oh, I have no doubt," he chuckled.


	16. Chapter 16

The Mutant ships did not arrive until the next morning so everyone spent an uneasy night at their stations. Lion-O listened to the conversation between Commander McCoy and the Mutant ships which Commander Tiberius was piping down to Third Earth. They seemed to be going in circles as the Mutants kept demanding their comrades be turned over to them and Commander McCoy kept telling them that their comrades had been shipped to the Penal Planet. The Commander left out the part about those that defected; those Mutants remained on the Farragut.

"Sir if you refuse to leave Third Earth's atmosphere, you will be in violation Section Four-Seven-Two of the International Space Code, at which time I will have the authority to make you leave. I think we both know what that means," those words caught Lion-O's attention.

"We need to get our hands on that space code. The Commander must have it memorized," Cheetara said.

"Or he's got a really good clerk," her husband agreed. The Mutants agreed to leave the planet's airspace – not that anyone believed them.

"Monitor the planet for any incursions. We'll do the same," Tiberius broke in as the call ended.

"Will do. They have to know that they are outnumbered. What do you think they'll try?" Lion-O asked.

"They'd be insane to do anything but as we've seen that doesn't seem to be a problem for them," Tiberius shrugged.

"Point. We'll stay in touch," with that the call ended.

"Makes me nervous," Cheetara admitted.

"Me too. We can't keep living like this. I'm not sure there is any way to stop the Mutant High Council from attempting to do what they're doing for the rest of our lives," he said.

"Could we file something legally? That way any transgression could be considered something that the Evil Chasers can act on, on our behalf?" She wondered.

"It's a good question. Perhaps we need to speak to the Commanders," Lion-O nodded. He punched in the code and called up Commander Tiberius. The Commander listened and nodded through the two Cats' thoughts. He promised to bring it up to Commander McCoy and see what he had to say.

Meanwhile on Plundarr, Rattigan was plotting. He'd received a call from the two ships that reached Third Earth and the news wasn't good. Worse than he'd originally figured but for now he did not want to invoke the ire of the Evil Chasers. Too much attention would bring them to Plundarr's front door. The Interplanetary Control Force was known for bending to avoid war but shove them too far and they would not hesitate to exact the justice they thought was right. He could hear the phone ringing outside his office and figured he knew who was on the line.

"Colonel, your presence is requested at the High Council meeting in twenty minutes," one of his subordinates announced after getting off the phone and heading to the doorway to the Rat's office.

"Yes of course. Find Captain Bora. After my meeting, I need to speak to him," Rattigan said.

"Yes, sir," the subordinate nodded before heading back to his desk and quickly picking up his phone. Rattigan strode out of his office and out to the hallway. The High Council meeting was a ten minute walk and he needed to not be bothered and ponder. By the time he reached the High Council building, an idea was forming. By the time the meeting started, an idea had become a plan. A wonderfully awful plan.


	17. Chapter 17

"Another long day," Lion-O said as the teams, who had been manning the weapons outside filed into the Lair. The sun is sinking behind the horizon and the King was waiting in the hallway outside the Control Room as Cheetara finished up an update regarding Mandora's condition.

"Who's manning the first night shift?" Panthro wanted to know as the group stopped next to their leader.

"Corporal Simmons, Private Doogle, and Private Turenne. Everyone else get a hot meal and some shut eye," the lion told them.

"Ah a real bed," Lea smiled, looking forward to not having the deal with the somewhat lumpy cots. That's when Cheetara exits the room. Everyone looks at her and involuntarily shivers, something that Lion-O noted.

"Mandora is getting better but is not out of the coma yet. They intend to give her three more days and then see if she'll come out of it on her own. They would rather not induce waking her up in case she tries to bolt upright. Commander Tiberius is worried that this injury could end her career," Cheetara told them.

"Why would it do that?" Ben-Gali was confused.

"Given the repair that was needed, typical recovery time for the average person is six months. The patient must often rebuild strength in their muscles and be careful to not do anything strenuous. In order for Mandora to regain her position as a First Class, she'll need to pass a physical which would require her to strain the area. That means she would need to be extra careful and could require a year of therapy before any attempt at the physical could be made. Even if she passes the physical, that doesn't mean the shoulder will be as strong as it was before the injury or that she would not hesitate when charging into battle. I think we all know that Mandora has truly little hesitation now but after such an injury?" Cheetara shrugged.

"Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse," Esen spoke up. Everyone agreed. This was not the news that they were hoping for. Lion-O made a note that Mandora should be offered a permanent home on Third Earth should she be unable to continue her career so that she would be around friends. The group now all headed down for dinner.

Meanwhile, just as the ThunderCats and Evil Chasers thought, the Mutants had not disappeared from Third Earth entirely. They headed for the moon that orbited the planet and used it for cover, making sure that they stayed out of radar range from the Farragut. Putting a call into Plundarr, Captain Ayaz, paced in his cabin as he waited for them to pick up. Mutant technology being what it was, the call could take up to five minutes to connect because of the long relay. The Evil Chasers connection was almost immediate due to their access to all satellites, something the Mutants didn't have along with their aging systems.

"Captain, I can see you pacing," Colonel Rattigan was finally on the line.

"Sir," the Monkian quickly saluted.

"At ease. Tell me what's going on," Rattigan said.

"Evil Chasers up the wahzoo, sir. Most, if not all, of the troops that you sent previously have been sent to the Penal Planet," Ayaz explained.

"Is wahzoo a technical term?" Rattigan raised an eyebrow.

"Best way I could describe it, sir," the Monkian said. The Colonel nodded.

"So, you're hiding or on your way back?" Rattigan asked.

"Hiding sir. Orbiting the moon that orbits Third Earth. Any instructions?" Ayaz wanted to know.

"Do you have a working shuttle you can give up?" Rattigan asked.

"Sir?" Ayaz was confused.

"I want you to send a shuttle to the surface and then I want you to come home," the Colonel said.

"An empty shuttle?" The Monkian was still not sure about this.

"No, I want you to pick five men. They are to land and ferret out what is going on down on Third Earth. If they have the chance, try to kill Lion-O," Rattigan told him.

"Sir, that's a suicide mission. They will have no back up and if they get caught, they will end up being sent to the Penal Planet or shot on sight," the Captain said.

"Then pick men you aren't fond of," with that Rattigan ended the call and the Captain was once again alone in his office. How could he be asked to do that? Ayaz began pacing again.


	18. Chapter 18

"So how did we get stuck with this assignment?" A lizard named Cemal asked from the co-pilot seat as the Mutant shuttle made its way toward Third Earth.

"The Captain said it was orders from the Colonel. We were chosen by him to complete this mission," a Monkian named Duygu spoke up from his seat at the controls. He was the most trained pilot among them.

"And we're supposed to believe that?" A vulture named Faruk raised an eyebrow. He and the others in the crew sat in the seats that lined the walls of the shuttle.

"Not sure what else we're supposed to believe," Duygu said.

"Gentlemen, let us not be distracted by such worries," a jackal named İkbal tried to get them to remain focused. He'd been told he was in charge, which made him just as suspicious as the others.

"You're awfully quiet Musa," Cemal turned to the last of the crew, another lizard.

"I think we all know that this is a suicide mission. If we somehow manage to make it through the defenses of the Evil Chasers, we will be landing on a planet we know next to nothing about. If the dangers of the wildlife and landscape weren't enough, we then have to storm the Lair of the ThunderCats. Once we've managed to do all of that, then we must kill the Lord of the ThunderCats. So I am quiet because I am preparing myself for death. At least this will be an honorable way to die," Musa spoke up. No one said much for the next few minutes.

"What are your thoughts İkbal? Should we try and fly as close as we can to our objective?" Duygu wondered. No one was looking forward to walking for miles over unknown terrain.

"We can't get too close or we'll get shot out of the sky. We also want to cover our entrance if we can manage it. I guess our best bet would be to land at our former colleague's home. No one will be paying attention to it. Perhaps then we can get some sleep and formulate a plan in the morning," İkbal said. Castle Plundarr was indeed miles away from their target. The Lair was then a long trip through ugly terrain – the Field of Dagger Rocks, which leads into a rocky cliff path down to the Pit of the Netherwitch. After that they would need to cross the River of Despair – the nearest spot being the Bridge of Slime. Then there was a choice of three different routes – the Great Void, Garden of Delights, or the Miggit Swarm Monster. Depending on which one they chose, they would then need to deal with either the Pits of the Molemen, the Forest of Silence, or the Living Ooze. If they were still alive at that point, the end of the journey would lead to the Plain of Fertility. That didn't sound so bad except that it was acres of open land, which offered no cover. All the while, the Evil Chasers would be scanning overhead for anything that seemed out of place – if they didn't catch them on entry of the planet's atmosphere.

"I've got movement near the planet," Sergeant Yanching shouted from his seat at the radio and radar controls.

"Barker, bring it up on the main screen!" Commander McCoy ordered. The Sergeant quickly did so from his spot at the navigational and weapons center.

"Should I fire sir?" Sergeant Barker wanted to know.

"Yanching, radio Commander Tiberius. Let this little bugger get through," McCoy said. The Sergeant was confused but radioed Tiberius' ship and relayed the message.

"Tiberius will do as you ordered. Why are we doing that sir?" Sergeant Yanching wanted to know.

"I want to see what they're up to. It would seem those ships that evacuated the area left us a little present," McCoy was curious.

"The present could be a bomb," Barker was concerned.

"If it was, they would have aimed it at us. My guess is that Rattigan is sending a few poor buggers in to either get intel or do something else. Radio the planet and alert the ThunderCats," the Commander said. The Sergeants did as they were told and everyone watched as the ship landed at Castle Plundarr. Five Mutants exited the ship and the door was closed.

"Blow up the ship," McCoy ordered. Barker aimed and fired. They watched as the Mutants ran inside the old Mutant stronghold, having nowhere else to run.

"Load up a shuttle and go down and fetch our new friends," the Commander said. Sergeant Barker called down to the troop barracks and they quickly dispatched a shuttle with twenty Evil Chasers.

"You just saved their lives," Sergeant Yanching said.

"Yes and let us hope they know more about what is going on over on Plundarr. Meantime, get headquarters on the phone. We can officially say that the Mutants have transgressed on sovereign territory where they were told to stay away from. Now more action can be taken," McCoy told his radioman.


	19. Chapter 19

Lion-O and Cheetara joined the two Commanders on the Farragut. The Evil Chasers had captured the five Mutants on the planet with little fight and brought them back to the ship. They had been split up and Arzu and Ayşegül were now interrogating at them, one at a time.

"Something is amiss," Lion-O said.

"How so?" McCoy asked as the two watched Arzu interrogate İkbal.

"They put a jackal in charge of a mission. According to Slythe, that is not what they do. If no reptile is available then a vulture would command. Mostly jackals and monkeys are cannon fodder – his words not mine," the lion explained.

"Ah I see. You think this is a message to us?" The Commander wondered.

"Perhaps," Lion-O shrugged. Then he had an idea and pressed the intercom button on the wall.

"If I say to you that you've kissed the boots of a Lunatak what would you say to me?" The lion asked. Arzu looked completely confused and had no idea what was going on.

"Then I'd say you were a son of bilge rat and not worthy of the oxygen you breathe," İkbal looked confused despite his seeming insult in return. There was no response and a few moments later, Lion-O opened the door to the room.

"Slythe sends his best. Mr. İkbal who is your Captain?" The lion wanted to know.

"Ayaz…" İkbal was starting to get the picture while the others were still in the dark.

"He is a monkey, is he not?" Lion-O asked.

"Yes… how do you…" İkbal was not sure how the Thunderian got that information.

"Because Captain Baki gave Slythe a list and that list includes a jackal with your name and a monkey captain. Slythe explained that Ayaz was only given the command because the lizard who ran the ship had been killed and Ayaz had attained the rank of Lieutenant, something not often achieved. The High Command gave him the ship because it looked good to the rank and file – they didn't trust him. Quite obviously, neither did Rattigan," the lion said. İkbal's jaw dropped open.

"Ah the list. How'd you remember that?" Arzu wanted to know. The list was something that had been given to them just before Baki's untimely death. Slythe often wondered if Baki had been killed for the list – the killer not knowing that the Captain had given his only copy to the lizard.

"Technically, I didn't. Cheetara thought we should check it after Slythe reminded her of it," Lion-O said.

"What if we sent others to the Penal Planet that don't belong there?" Arzu was suddenly concerned.

"I forwarded the names along to the Evil Chasers, Commander Tiberius, and Sergeant Yanching so everyone could be discretely checked," the lion explained.

"So what now?" İkbal still wasn't sure if he could trust anyone in that room but the lion had known the key insult that was used as a code so there was that.

"Well Commander McCoy blew up your ship but I'm guessing that Rattigan expected that," Arzu said.

"Yes but I also called headquarters and they just called Sergeant Barker back. They have what they need to lodge a formal complaint with Space Council. By tomorrow morning we should have an answer to what the next move is," the Commander appeared in the doorway, having just answered the call on the ship's intercom.

"You need all the information before you go barging into Plundarrian airspace," İkbal said.

"You know something we don't?" Arzu gave him a look.

"Rattigan is preparing for his last stand, hoping he wiped out all of the "disloyal" troops," İkbal explained.

"Give us everything you know," Lion-O said.


	20. Chapter 20

Pumyra plopped herself down in her chair at her desk in the Med Bay. She heaved a sigh and blinked at the computer screen in front of her. It had been a long day and the news had not been good.

"I could hear that sigh from in here," Slythe called out from the Med Bay room across from her desk. The puma wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation but she knew that it wasn't the reptile's fault. She pulled herself up out of her chair and headed into his room.

"You don't even need to be in here anymore. Your concussion is practically healed," she pointed out.

"I like the company," Slythe smirked. They both knew that since Tygra hadn't cleared him because he wasn't sure what the lizard's medical history entailed. Not exactly something they could get from Plundarr. A history of head injuries could make a concussion more dangerous than it first seemed and counting on the patient to remember, when memory loss is one of the symptoms, was not exactly ideal.

"All righty, well at least get some rest. I know that people have been in and out of here all day and we finally managed a quiet moment," Pumyra said.

"Well as a friend, I would suggest the same but that sigh made it sound like there are things you need to get off your chest. I'm here if you need me. I know Ben-Gali is a great listener but he's on duty and I'm not," Slythe smiled. The puma nodded and headed back to her chair before stopping in her tracks. Inwardly, Slythe knew that he hooked her. He could tell that she needed an outlet.

"Doctor Avery found what the problem is with Timur," Pumyra admitted after she turned around to face him again.

"Pull up a chair," the lizard suggested. She did just that and let out another breath.

"His vision is very poor. Basically, he couldn't recognize people and lost interest in toys is because unless he holds them within two inches of his face, he can't see them," she explained.

"I am sorry to hear that. He is a strong little boy though. Gets it from his folks," Slythe winked. Pumyra half smiled before continuing,

"Problem is, we won't figure out if there are any cognitive issues until he can talk. While there doesn't appear to be physical damage to his brain, if he wasn't able to get enough oxygen at any point that would only show up with cognitive tests. He's too young to try those."

"While that was not the news you were hoping for, I suspect that we have someone who doesn't exactly see everything as the rest of us do," the lizard said.

"I haven't had the heart to tell him. Lynx-O was so happy that we were going to have a child. Despite not being related, I lost count of how many times he said that he'd be a good Grandpa," she told him.

"Honestly, this won't change his excitement. Lynx-O couldn't see him anyway. Perhaps, he'd be someone who could help Timur through all of this," Slythe pointed out.

"I know. I'm just struggling so much with all of this," Pumyra admitted. The Mutant totally understood. Everyone always has visions of all of the things that they could do and show their children and when that goes away, a hole opens up - one that could swallow everyone in the family if they aren't careful.

"Does Doctor Avery think they could give him glasses? Would they help?" The lizard asked.

"Not entirely. They don't have anything that would be powerful enough by themselves. We'd also need magnifiers for everything," she explained.

"You know, I think there's a guy for that too," Slythe smiled. He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Panthro showed up in the doorway.

"Lion-O, Cheetara, Arzu, and Ayşegül are returning to the Lair. He said he wants everyone at a meeting," the panther said.

"Rustle up Tygra and I'll get this guy down to the conference room," Pumyra smiled.

"Ben is getting Willa, Nada, and Snowman," he let them know.

"I wonder what fresh hell awaits us," Slythe commented.

"Let's hope the worst of it is over," Pumyra said.


	21. Chapter 21

"Well first, I want to commend everyone on another job well done. We've effectively done all we can do and I know that you have all been working long hours and being brave through all of this despite the possible implications," Lion-O started in the conference room. They'd shoved everyone in so that no one would miss out on what was going on. Ro-Bear-Bill and Ro-Bear-Belle were acting as a conduit for the Wollos and Balkans so that everyone could be informed without leaving their homes. The leaders of both peoples were not afraid of coming to the Lair but there was concern amongst their citizens regarding all of the Mutant refugees.

"Done all we can do?" Willa asked.

"Yes. Officially, Plundarr is the Evil Chasers problem now. We gave them everything they needed to launch interference between us the other Mutants. Basically once they tried to kill innocent refugees and then invaded Third Earth's airspace, that was enough to declare Plundarr trouble," Lion-O explained.

"What of those left on the planet that are not part of Rattigan's or the High Council's plans? What of those like us?" Refik wanted to know.

"The extraction of those peoples will not be easy. Supporters of Rattigan's or the High Council could try to sneak in amongst them. Therefore, the Evil Chasers have agreed to use the list given to us by Baki and "arrest" those on it. Once taken away from Plundarr, they will be sent here. I realize that it is a big ask to handle this. I also realize that many will not be comfortable with that decision. However, I could not leave them to the wolves and the Evil Chasers have promised to look for a new homeland for them. I figured that offering a home, even a temporary one, was the least we could do," the lion explained.

"That is quite trusting of you, Lion-O," Snowman spoke up.

"The Wollos and Balkans will not be pleased. Well at least some of them will not," Ro-Bear-Bill made sure that he could be heard.

"I know and I intend to go out there and try and assuage their fears. I cannot blame them for being concerned. This is a huge unknown for all of us but I believe that our new residents could help us and we them," Lion-O said.

"Spoken like a true King," Willa smiled at the ThunderCat's maturity.

"I am not King of this planet. We must be a united front, as a committee. I don't want to appear like we are just replacing the Mutant High Council with a council of our own. Trust will need to be earned on both sides and it will not be easy," he told them.

"I say if we can gain that trust that we should offer them a permanent home here. When they first landed the Mutants and ThunderCats showed their true colors. We have only been better for the relationships formed with the ThunderCats and now with Slythe, Arzu, and the crew. We should offer these poor refugees the same opportunity. Let them see that not everyone is out to get them despite what the Mutant High Council and Rattigan say," Snowman said. Often a man of few words, everyone listened when the large man spoke.

"I will discuss with the ladies but I agree. This will serve as a lesson to more than just the people on this planet. If we can all come together then we can show despite our differences, things can be made into a comfortable society," Willa smiled.

"This is all very generous of you but how can we prove to the Wollos and Balkans that our countrymen are not going to harm them? All they have are the memories of what I and those idiots I worked with did," Slythe pointed out.

"Perhaps it would be best if someone joins me when I head over there with Ro-Bear-Bill," Lion-O admitted.

"I'll do it," Arzu said.

"An excellent idea. Thank you," the lion smiled.

"So will the Evil Chasers drop off the refugees before they run off to Plundarr?" Hamza asked.

"The Farragut and Commander Tiberius' ships are to remain here. They are running medical and background checks on everyone first before sending them down here. Plus they are helping us build shelters for everyone too. No point in sending them down here with nowhere to live, especially if this meeting did not as well as it is," Lion-O explained.

"What about food supply?" Panthro spoke up.

"That is a hurdle. Our growing season is almost at a close so we can't produce more food. The Evil Chasers have promised that since we have been willing to take on refugees, they will help with food stuffs until our next growing season," the King said.

"We're going to owe the Evil Chasers quite a bit," Lea pointed out.

"Well there is one thing that I did not bring up yet. Mandora has woken from her coma. She has voiced her concerns regarding her career…" he paused.

"It's not good is it?" Tygra wondered.

"Not particularly. She's despondent, convinced that she won't be able to rejoin the Evil Chasers. She even told Commander Tiberius to leave her alone. I offered Lea's assistance as a third party who could council her and maybe see if she could help snap her out of her funk. As long as her sessions remain confidential, then the Evil Chasers will have more flexibility with their options," Lion-O said.

"Wouldn't I have to share anything she tells me with them? I mean they'll need to know that she won't freeze or snap once back out into the field," Lea was a little confused.

"You would only be required to share information like that. Anything of a personal nature, you would not be required to say anything unless it indicates a suicide risk," he promised.

"Then I'd be honored to help her," the lioness said.

"Excellent. Please radio Commander McCoy and see what he wants to do," Lion-O smiled.

"So is there anything else we need to do?" Lynx-O wanted to know.

"Yes, take the night off. Everyone get some rest," the King told them.

"I'm due for night watch," Esen said.

"Well then you're in luck. So are the Kittens. You guys will get tomorrow off. We just need someone manning the radio in case the Evil Chasers need us," Lion-O promised.

"Sounds good to me. Snarf, are you firing up the coffee machine?" The female vulture asked.

"A fresh pot will be ready in five minutes," he promised as the group dispatched.


	22. Chapter 22

Cheetara awoke in her husband's arms. She hadn't remembered falling asleep on his chest but then again, they had been overtired. Well not that overtired. Finally having a moment to themselves and expecting a quiet night, they spent it the way a newly married couple would. Ma-Mutt had hidden in the bathroom, dragging his bed with him.

"Something wrong?" Lion-O's voice was soft.

"No, my King. For once, I do not think so," she looked up and smiled.

"Should we shake Ma-Mutt out of the bathroom so we can shower?" The lion asked.

"That poor dog. He probably thinks we don't love him," Cheetara shook her head.

"We do need to make it up to him," her husband agreed.

"Not sure a game of fetch will count as enough," she told him. Lion-O nodded. Things had been so crazy and the Horrible Hound had been trying to stay with Timur as much as he could.

"Perhaps we should give him a little playmate," the lion suggested.

"Like one we make or like one we find out in the woods?" Cheetara raised an eyebrow, seeing the smirk on his face.

"Well the making idea isn't a bad one but I'm sticking to my promise. If it happens, it happens. I was thinking more like finding one," Lion-O admitted. She nodded before asking,

"Should we try to make one, one more time before we make him wake up?" Lion-O chuckled and rolled them both over. Before anything got started there was a knock on the door. The lion rolled his eyes and rolled off of Cheetara and the bed. Grabbing his robe, he answered the door.

"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you, but…" Slythe was the one at the door, which was odd because as far as Lion-O knew, Tygra was making him stay in the Med Bay for a few more days.

"What's going on?" The lion was immediately concerned.

"I haven't been able to sleep. I keep thinking that the Evil Chasers are walking into a buzz saw," the lizard admitted.

"So you snuck out of the Med Bay so that Tygra could kill you," Lion-O pointed out.

"I think we both know I'm doing just fine. I think he's almost as much of a Nervous Nelly as Snarf is," Slythe said. Lion-O chuckled and said,

"Let me and Cheetara get cleaned up and we'll meet you down in the cafeteria in twenty." Slythe nodded went off down the hall. Lion-O closed their door and that's when he heard the shower. His wife was up and getting ready so he quickly went into the bathroom to join her.

"Again I apologize but…" Slythe started just twenty minutes later when the two walked into the cafeteria.

"Nothing to be sorry about. We don't want anyone to get hurt," Cheetara reassured him.

"It just seems too easy. Rattigan had to know that having Captain Ayaz send that shuttle in was the last straw. The Evil Chasers would respond how they would respond, and he had to know that. I can't see him wanting to piss them off," Slythe admitted.

"But he won't be the focus of what the Evil Chasers are attempting. The High Council will be the main target," Lion-O said.

"Yes but if they are removed then a new government will need to be set up. Perhaps he could be angling for being the head of that government or worse he could be pulling his men off planet so that they can wreak havoc somewhere else," the lizard said.

"I will need to have a chat with the Commanders. I'm pretty sure they thought about this but who knows what the people above them thought of," the lion told him.

"Do you think İkbal lied?" Cheetara asked.

"No. I think what he gave you was what he knew. Rattigan always has multiple plans. He's been known to feed those he doesn't trust false plans and then he does something else. If he comes here, we'll be outmanned and outgunned," Slythe admitted.

"I think the Farragut could handle most ships. How many ships do you really think…" Lion-O never got to finish his sentence. The alarms in the Lair went off and the Sword growled.

"That can't be good," Cheetara said.


	23. Chapter 23

"What is going on?" Lion-O asked as he, Cheetara, and Slythe came running into the Control Room. The lion had seen something he wasn't willing to believe through the Sword.

"Call from Commander Tiberius. Patching it through," Hamza was at the controls with Ben-Gali and Panthro.

"The Farragut is detecting ships coming in. The current count is ten," Tiberius didn't bother with pleasantries. The Sword had been right as it always was.

"I'm guessing not friendlies," Cheetara said.

"It looks like Mutant warships. McCoy has already issued warnings over every radio channel. They have stopped their advance, but I wouldn't hold my breath that that'll last long," Tiberius told them.

"Do we have any backup?" Slythe wanted to know.

"We're all we've got for at least an hour," more bad news from the Evil Chaser.

"The Farragut is well stocked with weaponry, how many ships could she take on?" Lion-O asked.

"It'd say five. My ship probably two but that leaves three for you guys to handle if they get past us," Tiberius was brutally honest.

"Well, we'll man the guns and do what we can," Lion-O said.

"I'll try and keep you posted," the Commander told them.

"Good luck," Lion-O gave him a smile.

"Same to you," with that the video call ended. The Control Room doors opened and there the rest of the team stood.

"So, we aren't getting that day off are we?" Arzu asked.

"The Mutants, probably led by Rattigan, are knocking on our doorstep. Ten warships have been detected by the Farrgut. They are currently holding out in space, but we don't know how long that'll last," Lion-O explained.

"Sweet Jaga's toothbrush," Tyrgra let out a breath.

"We need everyone manning the weapons. Anything that gets through the two Evil Chaser ships, we'll have to handle. Back up is an hour out," the Lord of the ThunderCats said.

"All right, everyone to their designated battle stations. Make sure you take your radios and be tuned into channel three," Panthro told them, coming up from behind Lion-O. Quickly the group dispersed leaving the panther and the lion alone for only a moment.

"Lea is up there," Panthro said.

"I know," Lion-O put a hand on his shoulder. There was nothing to be done about it now. Panthro quickly went to his station and Lion-O went to his.

Now at the controls in the Control Room, the lion put in a call to the Warrior Maidens and Cheetara reached out to Snowman. They couldn't help with weaponry and they would not be able to get back fast enough to bolster the ground troops. Still, they should not be left in the dark. It probably would be best for them to be out of the line of fire anyway. The weapons on the Mutant ships could easily decimate people on the ground.

"My nerves are all over the place," Cheetara admitted. The cheetah never said anything like that before. No one ever did but this of course was a vastly different situation. Truly outnumbered and using weapons they only trained a little bit on; this could get ugly and in a hurry.

"We'll do this together, as we always do," Lion-O reached over to her and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. The video screen came alive, it was Tiberius. His message was short.

"The battle has begun."


	24. Chapter 24

Lion-O watched the monitors helplessly as the Evil Chasers engaged the Mutant ships in the airspace above the planet. He felt useless sitting in the Lair. His leg bounced up and down, nerves were taking over.

"If you don't stop that, I'll make you stop it," Cheetara said without looking away from her station.

"I feel useless," Lion-O admitted.

"I know but hopefully we're just here for window dressing. If they make their way here there are a lot of people who could get hurt," the cheetah pointed out.

"There's a lot of people up there that could get hurt," he said.

"Yes, but they all signed up for that. They knew what could happen in their line of work. The Berbils didn't sign up. The Balkans, the Wollos, the Unicorn Keepers, none of them signed up for this. We have to hope they never have to get involved," Cheetara told him. Lion-O nodded. There was a high cost to failure. The local peoples would be enslaved by the Mutants. Those that refused to comply would be killed.

That ugly thought had not escaped the Evil Chasers as well. Commander McCoy had the Farrgut firing at anything that moved. So far three of the ships had been disabled and Commander Tiberius' ship had completely destroyed another. They continued to fire on the remaining ships and the Mutants were giving as good as they got.

"I've got one ship breaking away from the formation!" Sergeant Barker yelled from his spot at the Farragut's controls.

"He's probably heading to the planet. I'd be willing to bet that Rattigan is on it," McCoy said. Their ship shook as the Mutants' blast hid the Farragut's shields.

"Blast them out of the sky!" the Commander barked. Barker turned his attention to the fleeing ship and opened fire.

"Torpedoes away!" Barker shouted. The Farragut took another shot and warning alarms sounded. The shields were depleting.

"Open all tubes! Fire everything we have!" The Commander ordered. The crew did as they were instructed. Explosions erupted, the Mutants' shields being even less capable of withstanding a full-on attack after a sustained battle. The Farragut shook and more alarms were going off.

"We've got damage on lower decks twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four!" Sergeant Yanching announced.

"Two Mutant ships have been completely destroyed! Two more are disabled! The last one is heading for Commander Tiberius!" Lieutenant Neely announced.

"We're short one! Where is that ship that broke away?" McCoy demanded.

"I don't know sir! I have nothing on my screens," Barker said.

"Radio down to the planet! Warn them we may have a straggler heading in their direction! Seal off the damaged deck areas! We'll have to batten down until back up arrives. What of that ship heading for Tiberius?" The Commander wanted to know.

"They've successfully disabled it, sir," Yanching reported.

"Good. I want medical and engineering reports as soon as possible. What's the word from Lion-O?" McCoy asked.

"I warned them of the possible impending attack. Lion-O didn't say much but I could hear explosions in the background," Barker told him.

"Send a team in an armored shuttle. If Rattigan is really on that ship, there could be more going on than we bargained for," McCoy ordered.

"The Mutants that have defected want to help sir. What are your orders?" Lieutenant Neely asked.

"Let them help. It'll be a true test of their character," the Commander told him. He hoped that wouldn't come back to bite him in the butt. There was little choice though. The Farragut could not come through the planet's atmosphere and they needed to round up the surviving Mutants from the disabled ships.

"Good luck Lion-O," McCoy said to himself. He had no idea just how much the ThunderCats would need it.


	25. Chapter 25

The ThunderCats had opened fire on the ship heading through their atmosphere and down toward the Lair. The ship returned fire, striking the Lair, shaking the building. A shot from the mountain camp struck the ship and Lion-O watched on the monitors as a secondary explosion erupted through the Mutant war bird.

"What's going on?" Cheetara asked as she stopped firing, noticing Lion-O had done the same. A shot came up from the lower weapons outside the Lair, striking the underbelly of the intruder's ship. The explosion completely disabled the ship, and it began careening toward the ground.

"Cease fire!" Lion-O shouted through the radio.

"But we've got them on the ropes!" It was Ben-Gali on the other end. The white tiger wanted to finish them off.

"Panthro! Get your crew out of there! The ship is heading for the moat!" Lion-O barked on the radio. He got no response, but the Sword distracted him. The lion whipped out the weapon and ordered,

"Sword of Omens give me Sight Beyond Sight!" Cheetara watched the monitors as her husband received news he had not been hoping for.

"Rattigan is on that ship!" Lion-O told her as they watched the damaged ship crash in front of the moat. The ground heaved up and earth flew in every direction as the nose of the ship dug into the ground. It missed Panthro, the ThunderKittens, and Esen by only a few feet. It did not miss one of the anti-aircraft laser blaster guns and the anti-ground laser blaster, destroying them. The ship continued to push through the earth until it gave way at the edge of the moat.

"Everyone converge on the ship!" Lion-O ordered through the radio.

"Call up to the Evil Chasers. Tell them what is going on and see what they have in mind," he told his wife. Cheetara nodded and quickly called up to the other ships. Lion-O raced out the door, Slythe, Arzu, Ayşegül, were right on his tail coming down the hallway.

"Be prepared for anything. We don't know how many survivors are in there or what weapons they have," Slythe said.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Do those things have a self-destruct? It's close enough to the Lair that it makes me nervous," the lion told them.

"They didn't use to…" Arzu let the thought hang there. Being the Colonel's ship, there was no way to tell if Rattigan didn't add a few things to his personal warship. The four approached the Lair's front door and opened it. No one fired at them, so they cautiously stuck to the walls of the Cat's Paws, trying to not give away their position. The location of the Mutant ship made trying to get to the drawbridge difficult. Panthro, the Kittens, and Esen were stuck until the threat was neutralized. Of course their location might allow for a two-pronged assault.

Just then another explosion rocked the ship. The collision with the ground had seemingly put out most of the fires but apparently not all of them inside the ship. A hatch popped open and Lion-O watched as a four Mutants clambered out, fire licking at their heels.

"Freeze!" Lion-O barked. They looked up, almost like they were surprised.

"Do as he says!" Slythe ordered. They were really confused now but they did not listen. They jumped off the burning ship and used it for cover.

"He said freeze!" They could hear Panthro's voice from the side of the ship. No one could see what was going on though from where they were standing – the crashed ship blocked them.

"That thing is going to blow! Shoot me all you want but I'm not hanging around!" One of the Mutants shouted.

"Where is Rattigan?!" The panther demanded.

"I don't know," that was a different Mutant. Another small explosion rocked the ship and Lion-O yelled,

"Get back!" The group of four headed for the front door and the others tried to run for cover toward the trees. There was a rumbling and then the ship blew up.


	26. Chapter 26

Debris shot out in all directions. Along with it, fire, fuel, and what would later be discovered as Mutant body parts, sailed through the air. All who were nearby ducked for cover, hoping that none of the hot metal pieces would rain down upon them.

A shout could be heard, and Lion-O, from his spot seated on the ground, quickly realized it as his wife's. Cheetara was racing out of the Lair, heading toward her husband and friends. She had alerted Tygra, Pumyra, and Refik down in the Med Bay. The three quickly got to work grabbing medical equipment.

"Are you all right?" Cheetara asked, arriving at her husband's side. She quickly sat down next to him checking him over.

"Maybe just a little singed. I'm more worried about the others on the other side of the drawbridge. The crater and fire will prevent us from getting to them and we know there are four unfriendly Mutants out there with them," Lion-O admitted, trying to catch his breath. He was far from winded, but the explosion had caused his breath to almost be sucked out of him. The Mutants were nearby and quickly joined their colleagues.

"The Feliner can't be launched from its place in the hanger to reach Panthro and the group. It was not built for short hops like that," the lion told them before anyone had a chance to suggest it.

"First things first then. We have to get the fire out," Cheetara said.

"Can we pull water from the moat?" Slythe wondered.

"Too far down. We pull from there into the basement to make sure the Lair has water," the cheetah shook her head.

"Do you have chemical means to put the fire out?" Arzu asked.

"Only small cannisters. Nothing large enough to make a dent…" Cheetara trailed off. They all looked at her, knowing she hadn't finished her thought.

"I can put it out," she said.

"Wait what?" Ayşegül was confused, just as everyone else.

"I can use my speed to create a vortex. It would take the flames and pull them up off the ground while suffocating the flames below," Cheetara said.

"That sounds incredibly dangerous," Lion-O said.

"Well, we can't be waiting to find out what happened to the others either. I'll give it a shot," the cheetah stood up and Lion-O and the others quickly did the same.

"I'll make sure that the medical teams are ready just in case," Slythe offered before heading back inside the Lair.  
"Be careful," the King said.

"Aren't I always?" She smirked and took off heading for the fireball that was the remnants of the Mutant ship, knowing what Lion-O had said really meant "I love you". This was something she'd never done before and to test out the theory on something so large was daunting. Once across the drawbridge, the cheetah called up every ounce of strength and speed she had and began to encircle the hot, flaming crater.

"We'll get everyone out of this," Arzu tried to reassure Lion-O as he watched his wife do the impossible. The flames were heading skyward and dissipating. He had moved down as close as he could physically get to be nearby in case Cheetara needed him.

"She doesn't have an infinite resource for her speed. It will give out, whether she wants it to or not, whether the fire is out or not. When that happens, she will be vulnerable to what remains," he told her.

"I've got Ayşegül calling the Evil Chasers. Backup should have arrived by now and yet we have heard nothing. Hopefully, they'll be here soon," Arzu said. They turned when they heard a shout from behind them. There was Slythe, Tygra, Pumyra, and Refik, the latter of the group brought medical supplies with them.

"How much longer do you think she can keep doing that?" Tygra asked.

"I have no idea," Lion-O admitted, "Be ready to charge in medically." The tiger placed a hand on his shoulder, and they watched carefully.

"We'll need to have the Lair looked at structurally," Refik's comment made them all turn. No one had noticed the chunks of Mutant ship that impaled the Lair's façade. The fact of the matter was the only thing had made the monkian notice was the fact that there was a chunk down near his feet. When he turned his head, he counted at least ten other pieces of hot metal that had breached the stone exterior.

"The Evil Chasers say that back up is busy helping them. They hope to send a ship down to help in about thirty minutes. It's the best we can hope for," Ayşegül told them after racing up to reach the group.

"Let us hope that we'll have good news before then," Lion-O said, having turned his focus back to Cheetara. He could tell she was slowing down.

"Get ready," he ordered his crew before moving closer to the crater. The fire seemed to be out but the only way to tell would be to see what happens once the vortex collapses. A sudden inrush of oxygen could cause the fire to roar back to life.

Lion-O watched as the vortex began to collapse. Every fiber of his being wanted to move closer, but he could not until the vortex was entirely done. A few more moments and the vortex dissipated. Across the crater, Lion-O watches as his wife falls to her knees. Without thinking, the lion racing toward her, ignoring the calls of his friends to be careful.


	27. Chapter 27

Lion-O made his way around the top of the crater. The cheetah had done it. The fire was out, leaving only the charred remains of the Mutant ship. He finally reached Cheetara to find her still trying to catch her breath. A quick check told him that the worst of it seemed to be some patches of burned fur.

"What's wrong?" He asked, still concerned that she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"Can't… breathe…" she finally managed. Lion-O knew he couldn't help with that and turned his head to see Refik moving at top monkian speed; a medical pack strapped to his back as his fists dug into the ground, his feet moving just as fast. The others were running behind him but they were not as fast on only two feet. Slythe was carrying a stretcher. The stretcher was one of the portable ones, made of wood and canvas as the usual one, made of metal and having wheels would not have made it over the now rugged terrain.

"What have we got?" Refik asked, not even out of breath.

"She's having trouble breathing," Lion-O said. The monkian pulled his medical pack and opened it up. He had a small oxygen tank with a mask and quickly strapped it onto the cheetah.

"Is that better?" Refik asked, knowing she wouldn't be able to speak but hoped she'd nod. He got what he was looking for – a nod "yes".

"Ok, we'll need to make sure you don't have any lung damage when we get you inside. Take slow breaths and let me know if anything hurts," Refik told her. Another "yes" nod and the monkian went about checking over her exterior.

"Minor burns, nothing that we can't handle," he told Lion-O.

"Thank Jaga," the lion said. That's when the other arrived.

"She needs to have her lungs fully checked. Trouble breathing but the oxygen seems to be helping," Refik filled them in.

"Ok, you and I will get her inside and assess the damage. Slythe, Arzu, Ayşegül, and Pumyra will help look for the others. Ben just radioed that they are coming down from the mountain," Tygra explained before handing the radio over to Pumyra. The lion carefully scooped up his wife and set her down on the stretcher.

"Take good care of her," the King said, looking at Cheetara. She gave him a thumbs up but he wondered if that was to just make him feel better.

"Of course," Tygra nodded. He and Refik picked up the stretcher and headed for the Lair.

"Why didn't Panthro come out of the woods?" Pumyra wondered. The fire was out and yet their friends had not appeared. The Sword growled and Lion-O pulled it from the Claw Shield.

"Sword of Omens give me Sight Beyond Sight!" He ordered. Quickly a scene unraveled in front of him. Panthro, the Kittens, and Esen were engaged in battle in the woods with the Mutants that had come out of the now crashed ship.

"This way!" Lion-O pointed towards the forest and the group charged after him. They soon reached the woods and the sounds of battle were not far away.

"Hold it right there!" The King bellowed. The reptile fighting Panthro turned his head and promptly got a fist to the ear. He fell down and the panther gave him one more punch to knock him out. The Kittens were more or less playing with their food. The jackal and monkian were basically just trying to chase them while they continued to pelt the two Mutants with their magical capsules. Arzu fired a shot from her laser blaster and they got their attention. Outnumbered and confused, they quickly gave up. They heard a cawing which didn't sound good. Slythe and Lion-O went in the direction of the sound to find Esen fighting her best but only one of her arms seemed to be working. Still she was giving as good as she got against a much larger reptile.

"Ho!" Lion-O blasted the reptile with the Sword and he stumbled backwards. Slythe jumped on him and gave him a good whack upside the head with the flat side of his battle axe.

"Thanks," Esen smiled.

"Let's get you checked out," Lion-O half smiled, concerned for the young vulture.


	28. Chapter 28

"Where was Colonel Rattigan when you saw him last?" Lion-O asked the large reptile chained to the table across from him in one of the interrogation rooms in the basement of the Lair. The four had been medically checked out and then moved down to the cells, which were just down the hall from the room Lion-O was in now. The Mutants had refused to give their names and so far the other questions were being ignored as well.

"Come on. The minute that the Evil Chasers arrive, I can't help you anymore. You'll be in their custody and off to the Penal Planet. Tell me where the Colonel is, and maybe, just maybe, you'll see Plundarr again," Lion-O was against begging but at this point, he was going with whatever he could.

"We don't need him," Slythe suddenly said from the doorway. The stealthy reptile had almost made Lion-O jump out of his skin if he hadn't been half hoping for his friend to interrupt him.

"Ah so who caved?" The lion wanted to know.

"Surprisingly, the guy who Panthro punched out. Seems like the shot to the ear was enough to get him to talk," Slythe smirked.

"He would never," suddenly the reptile at the table said.

"Oh so you do speak. Seems your buddy wanted to see Plundarr again," Lion-O gave the prisoner a look.

"Could be or maybe, just maybe, he grew a conscience," Slythe said.

"Could we be that lucky?" The lion asked.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," his friend shook his head before heading out of the room. Lion-O stood, leaving the reptile chained to the table. He met Slythe out in the hallway and made sure the door to the interrogation room was closed.

"Did he really squeal?" The lion wanted to know.

"He did. Gave his name, rank, serial number, and said that he wanted to defect," Slythe said.

"So even the Colonel couldn't tell there were those amongst the men he trusted who wanted out," Lion-O was surprised. Everything he'd heard about the Colonel made him sound paranoid enough to even throw those he trusted to the wolves.

"Could be or it's a ploy. Either way, he figured that the four of them were the only ones who made it off the ship alive. The pilot was trying to land the ship where the Colonel had instructed but once they were hit on the underside of the ship, it was every Mutant for themselves. They were trying to head for spots where they could brace for impact when the Colonel disappeared. As far as he knew, the ship had no working escape pods. That could be a story or that could be what he was told. It is not uncommon for commanders to tell the crew that and then have one or two pods that actually work – meant only for the command crew," Slythe explained.

"Oh that's nice. No honor when the ship is going down huh?" Lion-O was surprised.

"Dying for Plundarr is an honorable death. Commanders and higher up crew are few and far enough in between that they must be saved for the good of the High Council," the lizard said.

"Well no wonder this guy thinks that the Colonel couldn't have survived. Make sure all the prisoners are locked up in their cells. Take our informing friend and keep him separate. If he does want to defect, I don't want him murdered before our back up arrives. I'm going to the Control Room to see what the status of our help is," the King told him.

"On it," Slythe nodded. The two separated and Lion-O quickly made his way to the Control Room. He filled in Arzu on the developments and she suggested that they check and see if there was any chance of an escape pod landing on the planet, somewhere else. He agreed and told her to review the video footage of the explosions and ship crash. Ayşegül said that the Evil Chasers were five minutes out and everyone was thankful for that.

"Lion-O, we need you down in the Med Bay," a call from Tygra came up as the King was about to help Arzu look through the video footage.

"On my way," the lion acknowledged.

"I hope everything is all right," Arzu said.

"Me too," Lion-O said before nervously heading out of the Control Room door.


	29. Chapter 29

"What's wrong?" Lion-O asked. He'd come through the Med Bay doors and Refik was there waiting for him.

"The reason that Cheetara was having trouble breathing was that she inhaled quite a bit of smoke. She also has some burns from the superheated air to her mouth, nose, and throat. Luckily, because of the smoke, her lungs were mostly unaffected by the air. She must have closed her mouth or was coughing, so the air only got so far," Refik explained.

"How bad is it?" The lion was even more concerned now.

"We're treating her, it's not something we can't handle. However, she won't be able to talk or eat for a few days. We'll be feeding her intravenously and she'll be on a ventilator. It's going to look very scary because she's hooked up to all those machines and is not conscious, due to the pain medication. We'll see how things go and then hopefully, if there is progress, we can start trying to remove the machines. Now, you should know that something like this does not get better quickly. It could be a couple of weeks before she feels one hundred percent," the monkian told him.

"I need to see her," Lion-O said.

"Of course," Refik nodded and led him down the hall. They approached the third room and Tygra met them in the doorway.

"She's a fighter and I have every confidence she'll be fine. I know things look bad but once we get her off the machines, you'll see how much better things are," the tiger smiled. Lion-O nodded and went to Cheetara's side, sitting in the chair next to the bed. Refik had been right. Seeing his wife hooked up to all those machines made him very upset. He had to keep reminding himself that they weren't permanent. She would be off them soon. The cheetah had been so brave and had saved their friends by putting the fire out.

Out in the hall, Pumyra came up to Tygra and Refik and told them that the Evil Chasers at arrived. Tygra said he'd go keep an eye on things while they watched Lion-O and Cheetara. The puma knew it was killing the Lord of the ThunderCats to see his wife that way. She'd been helping Timur with his eyes. Panthro had been unable to make the magnifying device yet but that didn't mean the puma couldn't try to help her son. She'd been placing objects in front of his face and he had been happy to see them. She discovered that if Timur wanted something to hold, he would try and squish it into his face. That was fine with stuffed toys, but it wasn't such a good idea for his plastic and metal toys.

"I think we'll all be ready for things to get back to being quiet again," Refik spoke up.

"Oh, I agree. Though with more of your comrades here on Third Earth, that might not be for some time," Pumyra said.

"Yes, trust will be something that will take time to build. I know that we look scarier than most of us are. Of course, finding out we've been lied to all our lives about Thunderians will be a bit of shell shock to the others," he admitted.

"It doesn't take much for hate to build against those you view as a threat. The lies are easy. Tell them enough and they soon become a belief system that can saturate beliefs for generations. Look at how much time has been lost between our peoples," the puma nodded.

"Yes well, you still can't trust the Lunataks. They've always been bad. I think most of it has to do with the harsh environments that they have been born into. Ice, super strong gravitational pull, and intense darkness would cause you to be very harsh because without being harsh, you would not survive," Refik said.

"I would agree. In order to survive, they must adapt. It causes them to be hard, and anyone not meeting their standard of toughness, they try and squash under their thumbs. They view everyone as being soft so they think they can just take what they want without consequence," Pumyra supposed.

"That's how I figure it. I am glad that I can be of some help here. I feel so much more useful and like I'm really helping, not just putting a bandage on a wound that will never heal," he admitted.

"Well, we're glad to have you. I only hope that your cohorts will be able to feel the same way," she smiled. They were interrupted by Tygra and an Evil Chaser that they did not recognize.

"Pumyra, Refik, this is Medic Jamison. He'd like to take a look at our patient and see if they have anything back on the larger ships that could help us," the tiger said.

"The more the merrier," Pumyra smiled.

"Thank you. I'm sure you've done an outstanding job but if I can help, I would like to do so," Jamison smiled back. He was about as tall as Pumyra and broad shouldered.

"Before you go in there, how is everyone back on the Farragut and Commander Tiberius' ship?" Refik wanted to know.

"I don't have any exact numbers. No deaths on the Evil Chaser side but some serious injuries did occur. The Farragut has damage done to some of the decks and will need repairs before trying to head for home," the medic explained.

"I hope Lea and Mandora are all right," Tygra said.

"I'm sure Lieutenant Balthazar will know more," Jamison tried to reassure them. He then went inside the room and introduced himself to Lion-O.

"The Lieutenant is a little busy with searching the Mutant ship's remains. Arzu thinks she found that escape pod that Lion-O asked her to look for," the tiger filled them in.

"Then Colonel Rattigan is here," Refik swallowed.


	30. Chapter 30

"Of course this bastard would use the escape pod," Slythe cursed as Lieutenant Balthazar told them what they found inside the ship. An Evil Chaser crew had been able to enter the ship thanks to Cheetara's work getting the fire out but also to the firefighting equipment on the transport ship. The ships that had come to help Commander Tiberius' Battle Cruiser Two-Four-Six and the Farragut were about their same size and could not enter the atmosphere. Hearing there was a fire, they took the firefighting transport to make sure that any fire was out. Cooling the already partially cooled metal exterior of the ship let them get close enough to try and cool the inside of the ship.

"I hear you may have a lead on it?" Balthazar asked. He was about six foot five, brown hair, and wore a very neatly trimmed beard. He and a second transport ship lead by a Lieutenant Diana were helping with the planet's issues. However, the second transport was still five minutes out.

"I tracked him for a little while but I lost him over the Forest of Silence," Arzu admitted. The group was standing outside the crater formed by the crashed ship.

"That sounds odd…" the Lieutenant was confused.

"It's a nasty little piece of Third Earth. No noise can be heard or made. It is completely silent and only occasionally do unicorns venture there," Panthro explained.

"So if Rattigan crashed there, we wouldn't know it," Balthazar said.

"No, but he could also have crashed into the Living Ooze or near the Miggit Swarm Monster, neither would be good places to land," Ben-Gali said.

"Living Ooze? Miggit Swarm Monster?" The Lieutenant asked.

"The Living Ooze is basically much like it sounds – it's a sentient ooze that wishes to destroy everything in its path. The Miggit Swarm Monster… well you don't wanna know," the panther shook his head.

"Oh joy. All righty, shall we make a sweep looking for the escape pod? If Rattigan is in trouble, we'll need to help him," Balthazar said.

"Help him so we can arrest him, you mean," Ayşegül frowned.

"Yes of course. You didn't think we wouldn't arrest him, did you?" The Lieutenant raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure she's just debating whether or not we actually have to help him. He let his crew fry," Ben-Gali said. Balthazar nodded. There were not a lot of remains of the crew members on the ship but those they did find were in the "pugilistic pose". This occurs when body tissues and muscles shrink due to dehydration caused by heating. Victims look like they were protecting themselves from an attacker with flexed elbows and knees and clenched fists.

"I can understand that. If you could help us head to those areas you mentioned and perhaps give support from the Lair, it'd be greatly appreciated," the Lieutenant said.

"I'll go with you. Arzu, if you and Ben could man the Lair's Control Room, I'd appreciate it. Let's get this guy," Panthro ordered. With Lion-O staying with Cheetara and Tygra and Pumyra manning the Med Bay, the panther was in charge.

"What about me?" Slythe wanted to know.

"I'm trusting you and the Kittens to keep things running smoothly here. We need those prisoners transferred and this ship moved away from the Lair," Panthro said. Slythe nodded before responding,

"I'll make sure things get done."

"I want an update on Lea and Mandora as well," the panther told him.

"I'll man the off planet radio," Ayşegül promised. Panthro nodded and he and the Lieutenant boarded the transport ship, joining the crew.


	31. Chapter 31

The escape pod was about where Ben-Gali thought it might be, right in the Living Ooze. The sentient pile of sludge was devouring the metal, but no one could see Colonel Rattigan. Concerned, the Evil Chaser transport ship hovered nearby and turned on their heat signature scanner.

"The ooze doesn't show up," Lieutenant Balthazar was surprised.

"Cold blooded," Panthro said.

"I guess so. I'm getting something near the forest," Balthazar told him.

"That is the Forest of Silence. He won't be able to hear us. Can you put her down between the Forest and the Garden of Delights?" The panther wondered.

"You guys have some weird names for stuff. Yeah, I can put her down over there. Are you thinking you can take him on?" the Lieutenant gave him a look.

"I know I can. He doesn't know the terrain and I do. I can see well in the dark, he can't. He's probably injured from the crash and disoriented from being in the Forest of Silence. The one thing I need you to do is to keep an eye on the tree line. He comes charging out of there and we don't want him ending up somewhere we can't get him," Panthro said.

"Like with the Miggit Swarm Monster?" Balthazar asked.

"Yes, exactly," the panther nodded. The sergeant at the controls carefully dropped the ship down near the edge of the Forest and opened the bay doors. Panthro exited the ship, an Evil Chaser handheld heat signature device pointing him in the direction of the Mutant. His only other tools were his nun-chucks and a set of handcuffs that the Evil Chaser's had given him. As he entered the Forest, the sounds of the ship's engine suddenly disappeared as if someone flicked a switch. It's replaced by the silence, the absolute silence that was actually deafening.

Panthro moved through the Forest, gaining on the heat signature, which was stationary, near what looked like a rock outcropping. He wondered if Rattigan was injured, although given how far he'd travelled from the Living Ooze, the panther also wondered if perhaps he was walking into a trap. Slowing his gait, Panthro looked around for any signs of booby traps. Seeing none, he ducked behind a tree, now only about twenty feet from the signature. The dark of the Forest has also hidden him from view and this was a perfect setup for him to ambush the Mutant. Slinking closer, his highly sensitive cat eyes, could now see his target and stashed the heat signature device in his waistband. Knowing he had to make the first strike count, Panthro got as close as he could and then lashed out with his foot, catching Rattigan completely off guard, in the jaw.

The Mutant lashed out himself, but he missed; Panthro was too fast and the panther struck again. This time he caught Rattigan in the chest with his nun-chucks. Rattigan doubled over and Panthro used his elbow to drive him to the ground. The rat tried to call out, but the silence of the Forest swallowed his cry. Suddenly, he felt weight on top of him and Rattigan tried to throw whoever it was off of him. Panthro struck him in the back of the head and then went to cuff him with the handcuffs that the Evil Chasers had given him.

Rattigan wasn't going down without a fight despite being dazed. He swung with his other arm. There wasn't much leverage in the shot considering his position, flat on his face. The rat kicked his legs, one of them caught Panthro in the lower back. It hurt but the panther continued to work at getting the Mutant cuffed and into custody. Rattigan squirmed and whipped his tail at his attacker, catching Panthro upside the head. The panther almost lost his balance, leaning to the left after the strike, only one part of the cuffs were on the rat's right wrist.

Panthro could feel his grip loosening on his target and he whacked the rat on the back of the head with his nun-chucks. That effectively did it. Rattigan slumped unconscious. It wasn't ideal as the panther didn't know if he could carry the large Mutant out of the forest on his own. Dragging him over to a tree, Panthro cuffed the rat so that he was basically attached to the rather large arbor. Catching his breath, the panther wondered if he should walk out of the Forest and leave Rattigan at the tree. Moving a conscious Rattigan wasn't going to be any easier as he would fight and struggle. That part of the plan had faltered but it wasn't for long as he felt the ground move under his feet. Something was moving through the trees. Only unicorns lived in the Forest and this seemed heavier.

Before he could decide what to do, Snowmeow and Ma-Mutt emerged from the trees. The panther had no idea how they had gotten there but he was more than thankful as they offered him and the prisoner a way out. The three quickly got to work and headed out of the Forest.


	32. Chapter 32

"So, the Evil Chasers are letting me have first crack at you," Slythe said to Colonel Rattigan. The rat was chained to the table in the interrogation room in the bowels of the Lair and the lizard sat across from him. Lion-O was on the other side of the one-way glass. The lion was glad that he'd sent Ma-Mutt and Snowmeow out to help Panthro. They needed everyone to catch the war criminal and both Ma-Mutt and Snowmeow had wanted to help.

"You need a babysitter to question me boy?" Rattigan challenged, jerking his head at Lieutenant Balthazar, who sat in a chair at the head of the table near Slythe and the prisoner.

"I'm here for your protection, not his," Balthazar spoke up, a smirk on his face.

"You got that rage back? Stop being a pansy?" Again, the rat was trying to push Slythe's buttons. The lizard tried to make it look like he wasn't affected by the words.

"The only pansy I see is you. You left your crew to fry. Only four of them got out of the ship. The others all burned," Slythe challenged.

"They happily died for Plundarr, something you couldn't do," Rattigan gave him a look.

"No, my family was murdered for Plundarr instead," the lizard pounded his fist on the table.

"The family you were cheating on? You think we don't know what's going on with each soldier? We knew you were shacking up with Beste. We did your wife a favor," the rat smirked. Balthazar was about to step in, knowing that Slythe would probably not be able to handle that comment.

"And my son? Did you do him a favor? He was seven!" The lizard was on his feet and about two inches from Rattigan's face. It was then that Balthazar knew he couldn't stop Slythe if he tried. Besides prisoners tripped and fell all the time.

"You knew the penalty for adultery and yet you did it anyway. I had your family removed from the equation because I needed you focused. They die and you don't get punished," Rattigan's crazy response almost caused Lion-O to lose his cool from the other side of the glass.

"Beste and I weren't together! We were just friends! We talked that was it! You didn't do your homework and you killed my family!" Now Slythe had Rattigan by the shirt, pulling him over the table and out of his seat. Lion-O came into the room at that moment and put his hand on Slythe's shoulder. Three Evil Chasers followed the lion into the room to quell anything that might have been going on.

"We got what we needed. Let him go," the lion said.

"You can't let the Evil Chasers take him," Slythe said, not moving an inch.

"I can and I will. He is theirs to punish," Lion-O told him. Slythe let go of the Colonel but did not move away from him. There was nothing behind the rat's eyes – just a cold, emotionless, black look.

"I'll make sure he gets what is coming to him. Trust me, he's not getting away with anything," Balthazar promised as he stood from his seat. Slythe turned his head to look at the Evil Chaser.

"He better pay for it all," it was a warning and somehow Balthazar wasn't sure that it was also a threat.

"War criminals don't get to ride off into the sunset," the Lieutenant reassured him. He then indicated for the officers to remove the prisoner. Only once Rattigan was out of the room did Slythe collapse back into his chair.

"Do I want to know what the punishment is for adultery?" Lion-O asked.

"The punishment isn't nearly as bad as the stink that follows you. Basically, besides being publicly shamed and whipped, you'd never be promoted; you'd never get a raise. You'd never get decent assignments. Your career would be over, and your spouse would be able to get a divorce, a rare thing for a Mutant. In fact, the spouse would get special attention and be taken care of, while the cheater would become a pariah," the lizard explained.

"So why would the Colonel think that his actions were justified? I was thinking because he's insane but I'm no expert," the lion said.

"He wanted me as his right hand. The truth of the matter was, he viewed my family as being in the way. Beste was my confidant. I spoke to her because she'd understand what I was being asked to do," Slythe told him.

"Rattigan assumed you were sleeping with her and not just talking," Lion-O heaved a sigh.

"Apparently. Beste's father had retired from the service. He was a Lieutenant Colonel, something that Rattigan wanted for me. She understood the pressures and the toll it took on a family. My marriage was arranged by my father once Arzu was sent on her space job. My wife, Damla, was a wonderful woman but she deserved more than me. Then because of me, she was murdered," the lizard was at his tipping point. There was anger and sadness swirling in his head.

"When this is all over, you can tell me all about it. There is one thing you need to know - you now have a second chance with Arzu. If what you had is still there, go for it. Do not wait," Lion-O told him before heading out of the room and down to the Control Room. Slythe heaved a sigh. There was a lot on his plate and only one person who could help him sort it out.


	33. Chapter 33

"We're all squared away up here. The Mutant High Council has been made aware of Rattigan's arrest and we have yet to receive a response. We're going to start off loading the Mutant defectors and equipment. The Farragut's repairs are well on their way to being completed," Commander Tiberius said the next morning during a video conference call in the Control Room.

"Very good. We can use the help to get rid of the Mutant ship and fill in the hole it left," Lion-O told him.

"Lieutenants Balthazar and Diana said they salvaged what they could but figure most of it is just scrap. Where would we dump the mess? I mean Mutants died in there, they may not like moving it," Tiberius gave the lion a look.

"Those that were left inside almost disintegrated when we tried to remove them for proper burial. We have spoken with Slythe and the others down here and burned what remained in the Mutant tradition. As for the others, since there was nothing left behind of their bodies or personal effects, a monument to their service would be the best way to handle it, with the ones we had to cremate buried at the monument. This way we can discard the ship, without disrupting the spirits, especially since the ship is basically blocking the Lair and the path in and out of it," the King explained.

"Ah ok. See you in twenty," Tiberius told him before ending the call.

"Another long day ahead of us," Ben-Gali said from his seat at the main computer console.

"The first of many, I imagine," Lion-O nodded before heaving himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in.

"You get any sleep?" The white tiger was concerned.

"Not as much as I'd like," the lion was being honest. Being alone in bed was not something he had been looking forward to the night before and Ma-Mutt had hopped onto the bed to stay near his new master. They were both hoping for Cheetara's return. The cheetah was doing better when he checked in before his call and Lion-O was glad to hear it.

"Well hopefully you can get some sleep tonight," Ben-Gali smiled slightly.

"Just make sure that Snarf keeps the coffee coming," the lion told him before heading outside to meet up with Panthro. The panther was anxiously awaiting Lea, who was supposed to be coming back, bringing Mandora with her. Since the Farragut and Commander Tiberius' ship weren't going anywhere any time soon, Lea had suggested that she get Mandora away from the hustle and bustle of the ship, especially after the attacks from Rattigan and his troops.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The lion asked as he approached a pacing panther just outside the Lair's front door. The Mutants would be joining them in a couple of minutes along with the ThunderKittens. Willa and the Maidens had promised to be at the Lair by noon, they'd be coming late to the party, but Lion-O didn't think that was a problem. Snowman had arrived with Snowmeow the previous day, which was why the large cat had helped Ma-Mutt in retrieving Rattigan.

"Mandora may be on her feet physically but her mental condition is still very much a concern," Panthro stopped his pacing.

"As much as you like Mandora, I have a feeling that it's more about Lea," Lion-O said.

"Just because she listens to stories from patients doesn't mean it doesn't weigh on her. Lea has to be able to compartmentalize. I worry is all," Panthro explained.

"She's been handling things pretty well so far but keep an eye out," his friend nodded.

"Will do. How's Cheetara?" The panther asked.

"She's a little stronger. Things are improving but it'll be a few more days before she gets off the machines," Lion-O heaved a sigh. They could hear the others coming up from behind them.

"The first transport has entered the planet's atmosphere," Ayşegül reported to them.

"Good. Did they give a full update on Mandora's physical condition?" Lion-O wanted to know.

"She's only moving around in a wheelchair. No major physical activity but the doctors have sent down a physical therapy regimen to help her that won't aggravate her condition," the female jackal explained.

"Thank you," the lion said as the first ship came into view. The group was nervous and anxious as the ship landed on the other side of the drawbridge, not far from the crater. Once it was down and the engines were off, they moved across the drawbridge to meet their first guests. Commander Tiberius exited the craft first, pushing Mandora in her wheelchair. Lea was the next one out. Panthro came up to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I've missed you," he said.

"And I you, you big blue lug," Lea smirked.


	34. Chapter 34

"I think you would have been proud to see how things went today," Lion-O told his wife from the seat next to her bed. Cheetara was still unconscious due to the medicines she'd been given; Refik assured him that it was better that way given how she was hooked up to the machines.

"There is definitely a level of confusion between those that don't understand why we'd be helping them and the others who obviously find this whole experience hard to trust. We'll get there I'm sure, it just won't be overnight," the lion said. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze before bringing her hand up to his lips and giving it a kiss.

"I miss you, but I want you to get better, no rushing this ok?" Lion-O wasn't sure why he was asking the question given the fact that the cheetah couldn't hear him.

"I wouldn't say what I can do would be a rush," the voice from the doorway caused the lion to put down his wife's hand and turn his head toward the door.

"Why didn't you come get me when this happened?" Wizz-Ra asked as he moved into the room and closer to the two ThunderCats. The ancient wizard was concerned that he hadn't been called upon to help out. He'd been busy helping the doctors with Timur in the beginning, but it was soon discovered that he could not correct a birth defect. Wounds were easy but an issue such as the little pumiger's was a whole different matter. After that he'd been watching the entire process with the Mutants unfold but at a distance. This was something that interested him greatly, but his pyramid was not entirely complete, the Lair's partial destruction had left his construction project as a secondary concern.

"Truth be told, I'm underwater here. First, Tara uses her speed to put out the fire in front of the Lair. Then Panthro had to track down Colonel Rattigan. We tried to interrogate the rat, but I think it only made things worse for Slythe. This morning I was helping make sure our new Mutant neighbors were getting settled. The housing will take some time to complete and even then, it's only temporary; just enough to get us through the coming winter. We're still in the planning stages on how to make things more permanent, plus adjust the crop outputs. Then of course, there is still the matter of building trust between the Mutants and everyone on this planet. Mandora has joined us back on the planet and she is physically better, but her mental condition is very much in question. I now understand why I didn't get to spend as much time with my father as I would have liked," it was a rare moment when Lion-O admitted that he was feeling overwhelmed.

"The weight of the world is on your shoulders as King but let me help ease some of the troubles," the wizard said putting a hand on the lion's shoulder. Lion-O smiled slightly and nodded. Wizz-Ra removed his hand from the lion and went to the foot of the bed. He raised his hands and spoke in the ancient language of his people.

Cheetara opened her eyes, confused. Lion-O quickly comforted her, telling her to not try and pull anything out, before anyone arrived. He'd pushed the call button and, in a few moments, Tygra walked into the room. Seeing Cheetara awake and the wizard there, the tiger didn't bother to ask any questions. He just quickly explained what he had to do and then did it. Now off the breathing machine, Cheetara could only croak, her throat was dry. Lion-O urged her not to speak. Wizz-Ra promised to be right back.

A minute later, he returned with Pumyra and a plastic cup and a small pitcher of water. The puma helped Tygra remove the feeding tube and fluids IV while Lion-O poured Cheetara some water. Adjusting the head of the bed, so she was sitting up, Lion-O handed her the water. The cheetah took it gratefully and drank it quickly.

"Is that better?" The lion wanted to know.

"Much but could I have some more?" She asked. Lion-O quickly poured her some more.

"Handy to have those powers," Tygra said, pulling Wizz-Ra aside.

"Handy indeed, but it just doesn't seem I can help with much else," the wizard frowned.

"I don't know about that. I think Lea would like your opinion on Mandora," the tiger told him.

"Lion-O said she's having a mental issue. Those, like the problems of Timur, are something I cannot cure," the wizard said.

"Yes, but what you just did for Cheetara can be done for Mandora. Her physical condition is quite delicate. Perhaps that will alleviate some of her mental woes," Tygra suggested. Wizz-Ra nodded.

"Point me in the direction of the lioness. It would seem we have much to discuss," he smiled, glad to feel like he could be more useful. Tygra headed out into the hallway and the wizard followed. They moved down to the hangar, where Lea had been seen last. The door was locked and Tygra thought that was odd. He pressed the doorbell option on the door's electrical pad and Lea answered via the panel.

"Care to have some visitors?" Tygra asked.

"Yes, sorry. We locked the door so little Timur wouldn't wander out into the hallway earlier," Lea quickly unlocked the door and the large entrance opened.

"What are you two up to?" Wizz-Ra wanted to know.

"Pan thinks he has something that will help the little guy see but we needed our patient in order to test something out. Plus, Lynx-O was helping," the lioness explained as they moved toward the office where Lynx-O and the Panthro were fiddling with the computer and what looked like a set of goggles, which were connected to the machine. In a nearby playpen was Timur, he seemed to know that there was a lot going on or at least he was just happy.

"Hello, you two," the lynx said.

"Hello Lynx-O. You'll have to tell me how you do that. It's almost like you have some magic of your own," Wizz-Ra said.

"You walk heavier than you realize. You're the only one that I know that actually walks lighter than everyone else but not light enough for my ears to not hear," Lynx-O smiled.

"The sandals help soften my footfalls but I'm guessing that what you are working on is more impressive than sandals," the wizard said.

"Indeed. I think we've managed to come up with some glasses that will help Timur. I also have some ideas that might help him in the future," Panthro smiled as the computer program finished running. Lea went over to the playpen and scooped the little one up before sitting down next to the panther.

"How do these work?" Tygra asked pointing to the goggles.

"Well, they magnify everything but with any luck they'll adjust as objects get further away from or closer to him," the panther explained.

"You whipped these up since Lea got home this morning?" The tiger was surprised.

"Three heads are better than one, but truth be told I think he was stewing on this for a little while," Lynx-O said.

"I had an idea; I just hadn't had the time to put it to the test. It's actually only taken a few hours, with any luck, that is," Panthro smiled.

"Well can I borrow Lea for a few minutes?" Wizz-Ra wondered.

"After our test, absolutely," the panther said. He took the goggles and disconnected them from the computer. Carefully, he slipped them over the head of the little pumiger and put them into the proper position. Suddenly, what had been a content face lit up. Timur reached for the panther and Lea handed the almost one year old over.

"Is that better little buddy?" Panthro asked. Of course, Timur couldn't answer but he clapped his hands to the panther's face.

"Success, I'd say," Lynx-O was beaming.

"I can think of two people who really want to see you. How about we take you and Lynx-O to see what they think?" Panthro wondered. Timur smiled, possibly the first real smile he'd ever had.

"Save those smiles for Mom and Dad," the panther chuckled. Quickly, he and Lynx-O excused themselves.

"So, what's up?" Lea wanted to know.

"I think I might be able to help Mandora," Wizz-Ra said.

"I'm all ears," the lioness said, offering him a seat.


	35. Chapter 35

"Well look who is on her feet!" Panthro smiled as Cheetara walked into the hangar the next morning. He was in his office working up some plans for possible eye implants for Timur. Once the pumiger was done growing, the panther figured that this was an option instead of needing the computer programmed goggles.

"I had some help. Wizz-Ra healed me," the cheetah smiled back, walking into his office.

"I had heard the good news but it's better to see you actually walking around," the panther said, putting down his work.

"I would have made the rounds last night, but I was very tired. Wizz-Ra said that could be a side effect," Cheetara explained.

"And Lion-O had nothing to do with it?" Panthro waggled his eyebrows, offering her a seat next to him.

"He was just glad to have me in the same bed – neither one of us had the strength for any hanky panky. Anyway, it was probably the best night's sleep he's had in a while because he snored for most of the night," she told him.

"So that's what that noise was," the panther chuckled.

"What about you and Lea?" Cheetara shifted the conversation.

"She isn't sleeping much. She was up with Wizz-Ra for half the night, in her office, trying to figure out a plan of action to help Mandora. The wizard says he can heal her physical issues, but the mental ones are all Lea, with the patient's help of course," Panthro explained.

"Ah I see. I was hoping to speak to Lea but I'm guessing she's in her office with Mandora?" The cheetah asked.

"She is. Where's Lion-O? The Lair seems awfully quiet this morning," the panther wanted to know.

"Lion-O is helping Slythe and the other Mutants with our new Mutant friends. Snowman, Willa, Nada, and the Warrior Maidens are there too. The Berbils are bringing up the rear while the Balkans and Wollos are a little unsure of all the hullaballoo, but they are at least watching from a cautious distance. The Kittens are manning the Control Room. Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O are playing with Timur now that he can actually see them. Tygra and Refik are getting medical updates on those Mutants that need to be looked after for a little while yet. Snowmeow and Ma-Mutt are busy playing together. I think if they weren't the new Mutants would be scared of them. Snarf is excited because he got a call from his nephew, Snarfer, who is coming for a visit. I think that's everybody," Cheetara relayed where everyone was. She'd been on her tour as she mentioned, and it had been exhausting. Maybe her stamina wasn't one hundred percent but otherwise she felt great.

"Sounds like everybody. You want to help me while you're waiting for Lea?" He asked.

"Sure. What have you got?" She smiled while he explained to her what he was thinking for the future of Timur's eyesight.

Meanwhile, Wizz-Ra had healed Mandora's physical wounds. She felt tired and Lea made sure she actually laid down on the couch in her office. While that was a familiar saying to have a therapist's patient "lie on the couch", most just sat in a chair across from their doctor. The wizard left the two ladies alone, heading off to see if he was needed elsewhere.

"Are you feeling better? I know that you said you were tired, but do you feel different?" Lea asked from her plush chair near the couch.

"A little but I'm not sure how this solves my problems," Mandora admitted.

"It won't but if you're whole physically, then it can be a help mentally. We'll have the physical therapist take a look at you. See how you're feeling, get your strength back up, then you should be on track to return to the job you love," Lea was trying to be positive. This was a big step in regaining her status as an Evil Chaser First Class.

"But do I want to go back to a job that doesn't want me?" The Evil Chaser wondered.

"I don't know, they seemed like they wanted you back pretty badly. I mean you are one of their best officers," the lioness said. Mandora heaved a sigh, one that had become familiar to Lea over their time together.

"What is it that you are hiding from me? You know that I don't have to tell them anything personal. Whatever you need to say is safe with me," she said.

"That sounds more like you're my friend and not my therapist," Mandora pointed out.

"I am both. I'm worried about you and no matter what I say, I can't seem to get through. Therapy is only helpful if you open up. I don't want to have to tell your superiors that you wouldn't participate. That will give them no choice but to force you into retirement," Lea gave as good as she got. Another sigh from Mandora.

"You have to swear that what I'm about to say doesn't go further than this room. This isn't just affecting me," she finally said.

"Whatever it is, it won't leave this room. ThunderCat honor," the lioness promised.

"I can't have everything I love. I can only choose," Mandora started, knowing what would come next could not be taken back.

"Between what?" Lea asked.

"Between the man I love and the job I love. I can't admit my feelings for him and keep my job but keeping my job and to not have him would make my life pointless. Have you ever felt something so strongly that you don't think you could breathe without it? This is something I have only recently felt and on one hand it's wonderful but the other… it's paralyzing," the Evil Chaser admitted.

"Have you spoken to this man? Does he know this?" the lioness wanted to know.

"His career is in jeopardy as well. I cannot ask him to give that up for me," Mandora said.

"Why not? Are you afraid he would not do that for you? Or that he does not feel the same way?" Lea wondered.

"I honestly don't know if that's the fear talking or if deep down, I know it to be true," her friend sighed.

"Commander Tiberius is a good man, but I do not know him like you do," the lioness said, wondering if she'd hit the nail on the head.

"He is a very good man. At first, I thought I could have my cake and eat it too, but I knew better. This injury has only brought more attention to me. At first, I toyed with just retiring but I have no idea what else I could be other than an Evil Chaser. Then I felt guilty for wanting my job and my love. I've never been an emotional person, but this has changed me, and I have no idea what to do," the blonde admitted, not denying the lioness's assumption.

"I have an idea. You leave it to me," Lea smiled.


End file.
